5 Ways to Help Teach Children the Power of Positivity

Did you know that humans gain a negativity bias from infancy? Thanks to genetics, our brains are hardwired to overcome the positive details and focus on the negative ones instead. So no, you’re not a drama queen. Your great ancestor was, though. Luckily, we can help teach children how to be more positive.

It’s never a piece of cake to hear your kids complain all the time. There will be complaints, of course, but they should also be able to express their positive thoughts generously. That’s why we’ll tell you about 5 ways to help teach children the power of positivity. All you have to do is read on!

1. Appreciate the Little Moments in Life

As a parent, you have a responsibility to introduce your child to the magical sights and moments that they might miss on their own. This is the first step to helping them realise the power of positivity.

For example, if you see a rainbow, you should immediately call them to watch the marvelous beauty that compliments our world every once in a while. When you constantly show your kids positive moments like these, they’ll grow to wait for them and appreciate their presence. Consequently, they’ll have a positive mindset.

Little Moments Journal

To make the teaching process more organised, you can make a journal and label it with 'little moments'. Then, every time you see a moment worth documenting, let your child write it down carefully, even if it's as simple as eating freshly baked cookies on a rainy day.

When there's a time they're feeling down, read the journal with them and remind them of the beauties they witness every day. That'll make them feel better for the moment, and they'll realise the importance of recording the happy moments they wouldn't usually care about.

In the long run, this activity will teach your child to pay more attention to the positive aspects of life. It’ll also help them become more grateful for the beautiful sights that grace our eyes. Finally, they’ll gain a more positive perspective on life.

Little Moments Tree Poster

If you have many children and want them all to participate in the activity, you can create a tree poster instead of a journal. Next, give them papers shaped like tree leaves and pens. They're supposed to describe a beautiful sight they've seen each day. After they're finished, stick the leaves to the huge poster.

The advantage here is that the poster will be visible to the kids all day long. So when they constantly read the words written on it, their mindset will shift to being positive faster.

2. Be a Role Model

In general, children look up to their parents because they're the only adult example in their life. As a result, you should always watch your words and actions when you're around them. By the same token, you can use this point to your advantage when it comes to teaching kids about positivity and trying to be a role model for how you view life.

Say Your Positive Thoughts Out Loud

In general, you should try to voice out your positive thoughts more than your negative ones. For instance, when it rains where you live, instead of complaining about how the roads will get muddy, say that you’re grateful the plants are getting enough water for the day. 

When you say positive comments all the time, they’ll learn to do the same and overcome the negative details that we face every day. 

Moreover, it’d be best if you correct them when they negatively comment about something. For example, if they complain that there’s too much salt in the food, point their attention to the fact that they should be thankful for its presence in the first place.

Compliment Your Kids

Second of all, always make sure to compliment your kids. If they've done their homework earlier than usual, comment on it. Better yet, if you notice that they treat their friends kindly, praise them for doing so. Kids crave validation from their parents, so they'll take care to make a habit of every action you've commended them for. Also, they'll learn to compliment people more.

This will lead them to become more kind and polite by nature. As a result, building those useful traits at an early age will be a huge step towards raising better human beings.

To sum it up, as time passes, your kids will mimic your actions, words, and overall mood. Accordingly, they’ll become more aware of the positive events that happen to them on a daily basis. Eventually, they’ll become happier with a growing positive mindset.

3. Help Other People

It’s a known fact that lending a hand to other people often makes us feel better about ourselves. And the best news is, kids aren’t an exception. They also benefit from volunteering and helping others. Plus, participating in kind actions like these helps children channel their inner peace and gratitude. 

When they feel the positive change afterward, they’ll make sure to always take part in charitable actions. As a bonus point, besides teaching your child how to be positive, you’ll also help them build a better character. To encourage your children on a step like this, you should try a few things.

Let Them Help You Around the House

If your children are so young that they can't participate in charitable actions, you can easily let them help you around the house. For instance, buy them a tiny broom and dustpan set to take part in cleaning days. You can also let them support their older siblings in organising their bedrooms. This will strengthen your kids' bond and make them feel rewarded afterward.

Finally, after they finish playing, you should let them organise their toys on their own. This will teach them about responsibility, and the feeling of satisfaction they’ll feel after cleaning will help them gain a positive mindset.

Make Volunteering a Family Activity

You can encourage your whole family to volunteer in charities. This will benefit your kid in so many different ways. First of all, they’ll grow closer to the family and appreciate their presence. Second of all, they’ll feel rewarded as they help others, and they’ll feel a strong sense of belonging to the community from such a young age.

Each one of those benefits plays a huge role in shifting your kid’s thinking into being positive. Moreover, the more your children will get to help other people, the more they’ll feel positive.

4. Set Goals for Yourselves

Goal setting is one of the most successful ways that make people happier, and it isn't limited to adults. When you encourage your children to set goals from a young age, they'll grow to be more optimistic. But the catch here is that they may get disappointed if they constantly set goals but don't achieve them. That's where your role comes on a golden platter.

You can help them set realistic goals; therefore, they’ll be able to accomplish them. As a result, they’ll feel rewarded, happy, and ultimately more positive. For better results, you can make this activity a family one. To do so, you can try one of the following methods.

Family Bucket List

Gather your family for this fun activity that'll help teach your children more about the power of positivity. Give each family member a paper and a pencil to write goals they hope to achieve this year.

Of course, you should help your child in choosing a goal so it can be realistic. For example, suggest that they write a new toy they'd like to buy. Then, when they finish writing, take the papers and put them in a jar with a 'bucket list' label.

By the end of the year, when your child’s goal is achieved, you can take the papers out of the jar and read them along with your family. Your kid will feel happy and rewarded that they achieved the goal they’ve set out for themselves. Moreover, they’ll gain a growth mindset that’s always keen on setting new goals.

Wheel of Fortune

Prepare a poster in the shape of a wheel of fortune. Divide the segments and give each segment a name, like family, friends, and school. Then, encourage your child to write a goal under each section. This activity will teach them more about what their priorities should be in life. In addition, it'll strengthen their bonds with family and friends.

All of those actions will contribute to your child’s positivity. When they’re constantly waiting for something and feeling rewarded after it happens, they’ll be happier.

5. Share Positivity With Others

As a rule of thumb, feelings become more significant when shared with others. Shared positivity will have a great effect on you and your child’s overall mood and health. Even if you do something as simple as watching a funny movie together, it’ll stay in your kid’s memory for a long time.

In addition to the fact that those actions will strengthen your parent-child bond, they’ll also create a positive aura in your house. When your kids grow in a healthy and happy environment, they become kinder, more optimistic, and better people overall.

This activity shouldn’t only be limited to you; kids should also be able to share positive actions with other people, like their friends. To do so, you can help them bake cookies and encourage them to share the delicious food with their schoolmates. Better yet, organise a studying session for your kids and their friends.

That’ll teach your kids the importance of other people’s presence in their life. They’ll grow to love their friends more, and they’ll gain a flexible mindset that’ll enable them to appreciate teamwork. This way, they’ll be less likely to make feuds with their friends. You’ll be surprised at how those actions will affect your child and make them love life more.

As a result, your child will look at life through a wholly different scope. They’ll learn to notice the positive details before the negative ones. And they’ll be more ready to face the negative moments in their life through reminiscing about the positive ones.

To Wrap Up

Do you watch your kids as they shape their play-dough into different entertaining shapes? Well, on a bigger scale, you can do the same with your child’s character. It’s essential for you to help them build positive and kind traits, so they’ll be able to live their life happily.

To teach your children more about being positive, you should be a great role model for them. Try voicing your positive thoughts more than your negative ones. Moreover, encourage them to help other people and contribute to their community.

As time passes, you’ll witness the difference in their characters and how they’ll become more positive and optimistic. Now that you have enough information about the topic, you can raise your child to become a better person!