Positive thinking receives a lot of criticism from the cynical. That’s because they misunderstand the power of this way of thinking. They believe that its advocates are airy-fairy types who think that a Ferrari will float down from the sky and land on the driveway just because we think it will. That is NOT the truth about positive thinking at all! For those who understand, here is an excellent article on how to teach your kids to think this way all their lives. What an empowering gift from a parent.
The power of positive thinking cannot be disputed. Positive thinking can convince people of the power of their thoughts and build self-esteem and confidence. Positive thinking is not for adults alone; kids also need to learn how to think positively. Here are a few good parenting techniques to help you teach the power of positive thinking to your kids.
Lead By Example
If you want to teach your kids the power of positive thinking, you need to make several changes to your own thinking, attitude and behavior.
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Maintain a positive attitude around your kids. Kids learn by example and if they see you being uncertain and negative, they’ll emulate the same attitude.
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Speak gently; don’t recriminate loudly or tell the kids that they’ll never get something right. It’s not easy to do this, you have to be a saint, but if you try to be deliberately positive, you can do it.
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Don’t speak negatively of anyone. If your kid hears you spitefully berating your next door neighbor at home, he or she is not going to learn positive speech.
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Be enthusiastic about your work; constant complaining and nagging from your side will only teach your kids that these qualities are desirable.
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Say “I shall try” instead of “I can’t”. Let your words be a message of hope and positive affirmation.
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Even if you don’t feel like it, smile. Laugh and make others laugh. This will create a positive, cohesive environment.
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Find something good about everyone you meet. If your kids complain about their school bullies, try to find something good in the bullies worth admiring. This will inspire a positive regard in everyone you meet. This will also teach your kids not to hate blindly.
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Express your love for your children liberally; let them know, through words and actions, exactly how precious they are to you.
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Couch your corrective statements positively. Instead of saying “Don’t stand on that chair”, try saying “Chairs are meant for sitting”.
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Let your kids see that you are always courteous to others. Let them experience the sincerity and respect that comes through in your attitude with others.
The World Is As We Make It
From a child’s perspective, the world is what it is and we have nothing to do with it. However, you know better. You know that our world is just as we look at it and make it. Our choices and our viewpoint are the things that determine our future circumstances and actions.
When your child comes home with a problem at school, ask them why they think the problem exists. Let the kids understand that the problem exists because it’s been interpreted as a problem, and not a challenge. Is it difficult to please a particular teacher? Take it as a challenge. Is a school mate being unfriendly? Set out to win that person. What your kids need to understand from this is what problems are what we make of them. A strong, positive mindset can eradicate all possible problems, leaving only intellectual challenges behind.
Teach Kids To Explore Different Perspectives
Ask your kids to approach a situation from a different perspective. If a kid at school refuses to come to your kid’s birthday party, ask your kid to ponder on reasons for the rejection. Don’t allow your kid to immediately think that the other child refused because he or she doesn’t like your kid. Maybe the other kid has no money to buy a gift? Maybe the other kid’s parents may not be interested? Once your kid starts looking at different perspectives, he or she will feel empowered to do something positive about the situation.
Teach How To Focus On Positive Thoughts
Kids experience more negativity within themselves from a young age. Fear of the dark, oppression from their own magical projections and fantasies – all these are part of early childhood. Fear of not being liked, certainty that they’re hated by others, feeling that they’ll never be popular enough or cool enough – these are a few things that haunt older children. It’s not easy to teach a four year old child to dis-empower negative thoughts and focus on positive ones. However, it is possible to teach older kids that in order to be successful, they must think positively.
Feelings Stem From Thoughts
When you deliberately exercise positive thinking, the relationship between your feelings and your thoughts gets streamlined. Feelings stem from thoughts. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Teach your kids that they’ll get exactly what they put out, only much worse. Let them learn that positive thinking will bring out the best in them. By putting out their very best, they will experience the best in return and feel gratified.
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