Optimism is defined in the dictionary as “hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something”, which can be translated into the idea that a person has a positive outlook about what they are looking to achieve in addition to feeling positive about the people and environment they find in their surroundings. Although we tend to classify people as being more pessimistic or optimistic by nature, we must remember that the beliefs we carry, or the outlook we have on life is portrayed to everybody that sees us, and must not forget what effect this has on children.
Children do not simply rely on their teachers to be taught, but first learn social behaviours from their home environment, and whilst we previously discussed that people can be more positive or negative by nature, it is important to adopt optimism into your household in order to teach your child the importance of being positive and make the most out of the opportunities they are given in order to reach success in all areas of their lives.
Children often mimic the behaviour they see around them, and will not only pick up on and utilise language, but behaviour as well, so it is important for you to set a good example as a parent if you want your child to succeed. Firstly it is important to allow your child to develop, giving them the opportunity to learn new skills and try new things in order to learn motivation, grow in confidence and harness their skills. Make sure to praise your child’s efforts and persistence in everything they do, so they are aware that all their hard work is having a positive effect. There is nothing worse for a child than being extremely proud of something they have achieved, showing it to a parent or loved one and receiving no reaction from it. No matter how big or small your child’s efforts, praise them!
Listen to your child. If your child has failed a test, or didn’t do as well in a sporting or musical event as they had hoped, listen to them and help them understand where they went wrong. Have a discussion with them as to what they think they could have done differently, and show them that the more they practise, the better they will become. Never forget the old classic “It’s not about winning, it’s the taking part that counts!” to really ensure that your child knows you will support them no matter what.
Finally, help your children to become more optimistic by being grateful for the things they do have in their lives. If they are complaining that they don’t have the latest smartphone, or haven’t seen that incredible movie that all their friends are talking about, remind them of what they do have. Remind them of last night when you spent time playing together as a family or the last vacation you went on by putting souvenirs and photos up around their room. After all, memories help to create a child’s personality which can lead them to further optimism later on in life.