Individuals who are optimistic enjoy healthier lives and less stress. Optimistic people also potentially enjoy more fulfilling relationships. Raising optimistic children is a goal every parent should aspire to achieve.

Some individuals seem to have been born with an optimistic nature, but optimism can also be acquired. As the child's primary teachers, parents have a pivotal role in ensuring their child develops a "glass half full" philosophy about life.

Strategies for raising optimistic children:

* Model optimism

Children are influenced by what they see and hear. If you display morose and pessimistic behavior in your daily life, then that is the attitude your child will adopt. The way you approach life's challenges, your problem solving techniques, your personal demeanor are all life lessons being absorbed and incorporated into your child's psyche.

If you send the message through your reactions and behavior that life is good, and can only get better, your child will pick up on that upbeat philosophy and display the same optimism in his reactions and behavior.

* Teach success

Success breeds more success. From the time your child is very young, allow him to experience success and praise. Give him age-appropriate challenges, such as, picking up his toys, making his bed, cleaning his room, helping around the house; graduating the chores to correlate with age progression. Praise a job well done.

The child learns very quickly that positive actions result in positive feedback and he not only garners a boost in self-esteem, but he also acquires the ability to look forward to more success. The seeds of optimism are planted.

* Discuss success

Have conversations with your child about how it feels to be praised for a job well done, what it took for him to achieve that success, and how might he have opportunities for future success and praise. This type of discussion instills in the child the notion that there is something to look forward to in the future and his own actions control his potential for success. The seeds of optimism take root.

* Discuss failure as learning opportunities

Help your child to process failures by discussing the concept of mistakes being learning opportunities. Talk about problems being viewed as challenges. You are teaching your child to face failures with an optimistic attitude. Establishing an optimistic approach to success and failure, winning and losing will benefit your child when he participates in sports, performs in academics and competes later on in life in the corporate world.

* Help your child to set goals

One of the components of achieving an optimistic attitude is learning to set and achieve goals. Instill in your child the concept of striving, by helping him to identify desired goals and establish a plan for how to achieve them. His goals can encompass material things he want to save for, academic levels to conquer, or any other accomplishment he aspires to achieve. The more successes a child experiences, the more optimistic he will become.

* Display optimism in word and deed

Point out the bright side of every situation. If it rains and outside play is curtailed, verbally express the wonderful opportunity to do indoor activities together. If you have a flat tire when carpooling, point out your good fortune that it happened near a gas station, or that you have all the equipment in the trunk to deal with the unfortunate incident.

The benefits of teaching children to become optimistic individuals, is that not only will they enjoy more fulfilled lives, but you will increase your own level of optimism and derive more satisfaction from life as well.

www.more4kids.info

Learn more about this author, Carol Gioia.
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