What the Leaning Tower Can Teach Our Kids

When my husband’s birthday rolled around, I decided to take him to Pisa. As an architect, I thought he would love the chance to soak in the beauty of its historic buildings, grand piazzas, and, of course, sample the legendary pizza.

What I didn’t expect was how much we would both reflect on one of the world’s most famous architectural blunders—the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Standing there in the Piazza dei Miracoli, I watched as tourists lined up to take that photo. You know the one. Arms outstretched, fingers positioned just right, as if they were heroically preventing the tower from toppling over. My husband, ever the serious architect, groaned at the sheer number of people joining in. But as I stood watching, I couldn’t help but marvel at the irony of it all.

Millions of people flock to see this tower every year—not because of its flawless design, but because of its failure. The tower was never meant to lean. A miscalculation in the foundation left it unstable, and yet, instead of being forgotten or torn down, it has become one of the most famous landmarks in the world. It is admired. It is celebrated. It is loved, not despite its imperfection, but because of it.

And that got me thinking… What if we celebrated our children’s failures in the same way?

The Power of Embracing Mistakes

Imagine a world where we don’t just brush off failures but actually honour them. Where a child struggling with their spelling test isn’t scolded but instead encouraged to see it as a step closer to success. Where missing a goal in football isn’t a source of shame, but motivation to train harder. Where getting something wrong isn’t seen as the end, but rather, unfinished business.

Too often, children are taught that failure is something to be avoided at all costs. But what if we flipped the script? What if, instead of seeing failure as a dead end, we saw it as a crucial part of learning, growth, and progress?

Why Celebrating Failure is So Powerful

• It Builds Resilience – If children see failure as a natural part of learning, they are less likely to give up when things get tough. They learn to bounce back, just like the Tower of Pisa has stood firm for centuries.

• It Encourages Innovation – Some of the world’s greatest inventions were born out of failure, (think microwave, superglue, the pacemaker etc.) If we teach kids to embrace their mistakes, they may be more likely to think outside the box and push boundaries.

• It Reduces Anxiety – Fear of failure can be crippling. By normalising setbacks, children can approach challenges with confidence rather than fear.

• It Helps Kids Find Their Strengths – Sometimes, what we fail at teaches us what we’re truly passionate about. A child who struggles in one subject may excel in another, and failure can help them find where they truly shine.

What If We Built a Pisa Mindset?

Just like the Leaning Tower, our children are still standing, still growing, still becoming who they are meant to be—even when they don’t get things right the first time. What if, instead of dreading mistakes, they were seen as part of their journey to success?

Maybe it’s time to take a cue from Pisa and celebrate the beauty of imperfection. Let’s remind our kids (and ourselves) that failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s often the first step towards it.

And if nothing else, let’s at least agree to eat more pizza along the way.