Family Tips: How to promote optimism in your child

As parents, there are moments when it is very easy for us to get swept away by the fire in our heads during moments of uncertainties, problems, anxieties and even anger. Because we unconsciously get dragged down by the heat of a moment, we sometimes end up hurting our children with both words and actions. And later on, we regret our actions.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - As the first teacher to our children, it is the parents' responsibility to be the ones to build up their confidence and self-esteem. This can only be done once we have established our credibility as parents by being a role model of wisdom, strength, endurance, patience and most of all, optimism.
 
Confront Pessimism
 
Confrontation does not always equate to using harsh words. Parents can show confrontation by showing their children the right way to act towards certain situations. They can also correct the wrong behaviors, but this should be done as soon as they see the child do it. When they say things such as "I am so dumb!" or "How can I be so stupid," tell them that there are better ways to channel their frustration. Remember that delaying confrontations might all bad habits to develop. In this way, children will not get used to burdening themselves.

Keep a rosary always within your reach. Find the perfect rosaries for home, work and parish

Have Open Conversations
 
Children do not always get to see what their mom or dad do. Therefore, parents must set aside a regular time of the day (or night) to solely be used for allowing children to talk about random situations, while parents try to give them lessons on how to be optimistic towards problematic circumstances. It is also advantageous for parents to give their children some tips on how to cope healthily with their friends, academics and other environmental factors.
 
Have a Sincere Listening Attitude
 
Contrary to popular belief, children now cannot be fooled easily. They know when you are listening, and they know when you're just faking it. Letting them know that you are always ready to listen develops confidence in them as they grow up. They are also motivated to talk about the "good stuff" they did, because they know that their parents will praise them later on. You can identify what kind of words they are learning to use, whether they are using curse words instead of kind ones. Through this, parents can check if the information their children receives from the surrounding environment is beneficial to them or not.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'