When it comes to optimism some would argue that we are predisposed to stress through our genetics, where others would suggest that it is the environment we grow up in that affects how optimistic we are as adults. Whichever camp you agree with there are certainly ways you can encourage your child to channel their inner optimist. An independent school in London has shared their advice on how to encourage your kids to be more optimistic.

The most effective thing you can do to encourage your children to be optimistic is to demonstrate a positive outlook yourself. It’s normal to sit in a traffic jam and complain impatiently, or to air our frustrations when an unexpected storm ruins the day at the beach, though it’s important to remember that your children are listening to how you react. Children are very perceptive, they watch their parents and learn to copy them. Next time something frustrating happens, try to put a positive spin on it. Demonstrating resilience and optimism to your children will encourage them to adopt the same outlook. 

Practicing gratitude fosters optimism as it remedies compulsive negative thinking and arms us with an outlook suited to deal with stressful or painful situations. As much as we’d love to protect our children from ever feeling sadness or pain, we know that it’s simply not possible. In fact, sadness is crucial as we’d be unable to feel truly grateful in times of happiness without the context of difficult moments we’ve overcome. 

Teaching children to practice gratitude prepares them to face difficult times with patience and optimism and enables them to feel truly present in moments of happiness. We can train our minds to seek out positivity in any situation, one way of doing this is to have your child start a gratitude journal, listing 5 things each night that they have been grateful for that day.