As a parent, seeing your child grow while showing so much positivity is one of the best experiences. It is quite disheartening when you often find your child sulking, throwing tantrums for no reason, and exhibiting negative emotions.
Surprisingly or not, many adults easily give off a negative aura wherever they go. Just think of that boss who never has reasons to be happy and goes around bringing people down. It is never too early to start the lesson if you do not want your child to grow up with a negative mindset.
A toddler is like a mirror that reflects things around them. They are at the stage where they start showing emotions, speaking, feeling, and imitating things around them. So, if there is a lifestyle, mindset, or habit you want in your child, it is best to promote it from their childhood. Here are five ways to promote a positive mindset in your child.
1. Let them express and embrace all feelings.
The way to promote a positive mindset in a child is not to encourage them to discard negative feelings. A child should not be taught to bottle up their feelings. Negative feelings are also a part of life, so not expressing them will not make them go away; rather, it builds in the child.
So, no matter the emotions, be it happiness, sadness, anger, shame, or fear, let your child know they can freely express them. Learning to accept and express these emotions is the first step in handling them. After accepting the feelings, teach them how to handle them.
When your child is sad or angry, ask them what is wrong, let them express themselves, and put their emotions to words. After explaining the problem, ask them for possible solutions; this helps them come up with solutions when they face obstacles instead of worrying and sulking over them.
Even if they do not end up solving the problem at that moment, they will feel better and let go of these negative emotions. They will also get better at dealing with negative emotions instead of wallowing in them.
2. Give them compliments regularly.
A parent is the child’s first hero, which is why children esteem their parents’ opinion of them. Parents should always find positive things to say to the child. Appreciate every little effort they make. Learn to say thank you in all possible instances; they can easily pick it up.
Limit your criticism, and even if you need to correct it, do so positively. When they fail at something, remind them of how wonderful they are. Point out all their strengths and remind them of previous achievements. Help them gain confidence to start over again when they fail.
If you do this often, you will notice your child being positive despite obstacles. And your child will show more confidence even when failing and making mistakes.
3. Spend more time together
Do not get caught up with adult responsibilities that you do not spend time with your children. Children learn more by example; they imitate what they see and hear. If you do not take the time to teach them the basics, they learn it elsewhere, and you will find it hard to correct them.
Ensure you value quality time over quantity. The time spent doing an activity with them is more valuable than time spent together in the house while you are on the phone all through. Also, children love attention; when you do not give them attention, they try to take it. Then, you see them throwing tantrums so that you can show you care. If they keep this up, they see this pattern as the normal way to act, making them develop a negative mindset.
Lastly, when you do not spend time with your children, you will not be there to help them develop the right mindset. It takes a while before a positive mindset becomes a habit, then a personality. If you do not take the time to ensure they stick to the right mindset, they will end up being confused, birthing negative emotions, leading to a negative mindset in the long run.
4. Be a Role Model
A child’s first role model is their parent, whether or not they voice it out loud. You see them imitating your movements, speeches, attitude, and actions consciously or subconsciously. So, acting out everything you want to see in your child is the best teaching method. If you want them to say more positive affirmations, say it to yourself first.
And know there is no need to pretend because these acts do not last long. If you only show positive emotions when your children are around you, it will exhaust you because the bottled emotions might erupt one day, making you lose their trust. Also, often the children’s instincts make them see through your facade.
If you keep pretending, they imitate the action and show positive emotions just to please you. While they deal with their negative mindset afterward.
5. Teach them to practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude is something needed in both children and adults. When people constantly express gratitude for the little things, they develop a positive mindset that helps them through each day.
Create a gratitude jar and ask them to write things they are grateful for each day. When the jar gets full, read it out with them, and help them start it over again. Expressing gratitude makes them appreciate little and big things, improving a person’s mood and helping them develop a positive mindset.
Conclusion
Helping your child develop a positive mindset is a long-term activity that should start from a young age. It easily becomes a personality when the mindset has been ingrained in them since childhood. Be a role model with a positive mindset your children can easily pick up. Before long, you will see the traits in your children.
