It is clear that optimism is important for happiness, health and success. Optimists are less likely to develop depression and do better in school and work. They even live longer! The best part is, anyone can acquire it. As parents, it may be a daunting thought to add onto more time to teach your child how to become optimistic, but fear not as it can be done in the simplest of ways. Here are some tips from an independent school in Twickenham on how to raise an optimistic child.
Optimism is the belief and mindset that good things will happen and focusing on the positive in situations. It fuels resilience and can keep an individual motivated and happy even when faced with the most difficult hurdles. One thing that is common amongst society is that we seem to focus on the bad more than the good. It is known as a negativity bias and will lead you to notice the bad all the time rather than the good, no matter how small that part may be. In the end you’ll find you hold onto the bad for longer than you need to, with anger, frustration and sadness being the main emotions you feel. Fortunately, this is easily reversible with optimism. This isn’t an order to bury your head in the sand and ignore problems but rather balance the focus of what you pay attention to.
Optimism
To build optimism in your child is to help them learn how to look for the good in every situation. Next time you’re out and about with your child, take them on a happy scavenger hunt. Ask your child to point out things that make them happy. These could be someone smiling at them, a bird’s a nest in a tree, a sweet shop or even something that shows off their favourite colour. This allows your child to understand to not look at things as a whole but break it down and focus on even the smallest details that could make the situation happier
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Keeping a good stuff journal encourages your child to keep an eye out for good things during their day so they can create a nice log of it in their journal later on in the day. You can encourage your child to think about these situations by asking them how it made them feel and what they liked about the good thing they saw. As a parent, being a model example and practising optimism with less negative talk will create the best environment for your child.
*Collaborative post
About Debz Louise
Debz Louise is a UK-based lifestyle expert and the founder of several lifestyle blogs. Specialising in everything from interior design and home renovation to body-positive fashion and parenting, Debz brings a wealth of hands-on experience to every guide. Her mission at Stereotude is to simplify the modern world for her readers through expert curation and fiercely honest advice.