Kids & a Positive Attitude

Antoinette Steyn • November 30, 2020

Kids need to have a positive view of the future in order to have a “good life”.  Researchers at the Search Institute have found that a positive view of one’s future is a protective factor.  It is never too early for a child to have a positive view of their future, even if it is just a positive view of what tomorrow will bring.   


Never underestimate the value of your own actions.  Children will watch and copy what their parent’s do.  Constantly review the attitude you have towards life as a parent.  Make use of “teachable moments”.  These are the small moments in your own life and that of others which you can use to help children see how to overcome adversity and how to remain positive.


A positive attitude can make life more manageable, especially in a world filled with violence, negativity and suffering.  A positive attitude and happiness are closely related. It is not always possible to control what happens to us, but it is possible to control how we react to that.  When children develop a positive attitude early in life, positive thinking becomes a habit for them which can ease the pressures associated with growing up.


Teach your child to start controlling the thoughts they have and the conversations they have with themselves.  Rather than saying “I am no good at this” teach them to be able to say “I might not be good at this yet but luckily there are many other things I am good at”.  Start teaching your child that feeling positive or negative about something is their choice.  Create more opportunities for your child to do things they are really good at.  Having good confidence plays a big role in having a good attitude.  You can start keeping a journal with your child of all his/her good accomplishments as well occasions where he/she learned lessons.  Encourage them through this to not only see good things and bad things, but rather good things and opportunities through which they can learn a new lesson even though it might seem like something bad that happened.

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