Positive Attitude: Critical For Child Development

Every day we face some of the other challenges which we overcome with learning and experience. Some of these challenges can be easy to handle, while others may be too painful. The most critical thing you have to keep in mind is the attitude you hold when tackling these challenges. A positive and go-getter mindset can not only impact your task positively but also will aid you to accomplish your goals smoothly. Additionally, displaying a positive attitude also makes it easier for you to work well with others and solve problems creatively.

As a parent, you may demonstrate a positive attitude but seeing your child hold a negative attitude is troublesome. A negative attitude fuels bad feelings like sadness or anger which can prove harmful in the long run.

3 major factors affecting Negative attitudes in children today:

1. Life Events:
A very vital and practical example is when your child scores 80/100 in an examination. You as a parent are celebrating this achievement or crying over why others have scored more? As a parent we tend to compare our kid with others, failing to understand that all children are different with different interest levels in different school subjects. If you do not celebrate this brilliant 80/100 score you are encouraging an environment of grief and dissatisfaction.

2. Mental health issues:
Adding to the above example, this can lead to feeling like guilt, anger and anxiety which will do more harm to your child’s mental health than good. In the worst-case scenario’s children go into depression and then it’s too late for parents to mend the situation they created.

3. Family members attitude:
Sad but true, the environment you live in has a massive impact on your child’s attitude. A more happy family who shares happy stories will have a child smiling away all day long. On the other hand, a family with too many personal negative problems can land up having a depressed and introverted child.

Do you know what science says? It’s pretty natural for people to think about negative thoughts more than positive ones, and it’s so true in children. And where does this negativity come from? It’s usually driven by fear, doubt, or shame, which produce stress chemicals in the brain. But as parents, there are plenty of ways you can help your child develop a more positive attitude about themselves and their world. In this blog post, you’ll learn 5 ways to help your children develop a good attitude!

1. Positive attitudes are learned behaviours:
Parents can channelise positive behaviour and attitude, which will impact their child’s outlook towards life in a good way. Positive parenting is about giving compliments when your child does a good deed along with incorporating discipline with love rather than anger or criticism.

2. Surround yourself with optimism:
Children who are surrounded with optimism are more likely to develop better-coping skills when times get tough. This is because they have developed a sense of understanding that bad things happen and there are ways and means to get over them through hard work. It is vital not to discourage children by trying to be overprotective on the other hand teach them that mistakes don’t define us or limit us.

3. Parents should set practical limits:
Some parents set overwhelming limits which when not achieved disheartens the child. You must set achievable yet challenging limits to maintain a healthy rapport between victory and the tasks assigned. We at Shri Harshad C. Valia International School recommend you set practical limits in a way that helps your child grow and develop responsibility, without feeling like they’re being smothered.

4. Positive attitudes are contagious:
Have you ever noticed? In a challenging life situation when people around you say, “everything will be fine”, you feel a sense of energy rush which helps you overcome the challenge with a much calmer mind? When people around us start behaving positively it starts to rub off on our own behaviour; simply by spreading positivity, we can help others do the same. Make friends and meet family members often who display a positive attitude so that you can rub off a little of it on your child.

5. Share your hardship stories with how you overcame them positively:
This is as good as a roleplay method of teaching a positive attitude to your kids. Share stories from your childhood where you were able to accomplish something difficult because of persistent hard work and a positive attitude. Encourage them not only to say positive things but back them up with equally nurturing actions.

Words of advice:
Most importantly, to help your children grow with a positive attitude, you need to communicate to them that they are capable of being happy. It is important to share your stories with them and also set an example for how you want them to act or react in certain situations.