Is the glass half full or half empty? This is a common phrase that we’ve heard in our lives and it’s a great way to figure out whether a person is an optimist or a pessimist. An optimist is something everyone should aspire to be. It can be easy to feel frightened and stressed in today’s world, but it is still necessary to keep a positive mind to create a loving and hopeful household. Children start developing their thoughts on the world at a very young age and it is understood that parents can end up interpreting their surroundings negatively and create a bad perspective for the child. However, there are ways to avoid this. Here is some advice from a private school in Harpenden on how to raise an optimistic child.
Notice how your child thinks about things. Does your child view things as positive or the response always the worst-case scenario? Identifying this first will help you figure out which direction to turn your child to. Many children view pessimism as a natural response to difficult situations and setbacks. “There’s no point in trying because I already know I’m not good at it” is such a common one. By allowing your child to perceive setbacks as merely a tiny hump in the road rather than an entire wall between them and their goal will create the best optimistic mindset. If the setback is self-inflicted, ask your child how they can fix their mistake whereas if it’s an uncontrollable factor, help them understand that life will test them but there always round things.
Confront negative self-talk. If you start saying something enough, you tend to believe it. That’s just how the mind works and it’s nothing beneficial for the likes of a person on their optimistic journey. Remind yourself that some things they believe about themselves aren’t actually true and there are many healthier ways to interpret events. When your child is being negative, teach them to notice it, think of it as if they were saying it to someone else and then dispute it.
Model the optimistic mindset yourself. Children learn from what they see and parents tend to be the prime example of what a person should be. Start by using these tools yourself by ensuring you stay as positive as possible around your child. Remember that children also listen to adult conversations to keep an optimistic approach then too. Good luck!
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