Let’s face it, it’s not always easy being a kid. As adults, we have to remember this. Kids go through many stressful activities throughout the course of their day. Worrying about fitting in, not doing well on a test, feeling not as smart as the other kids, getting picked last in gym, peer pressure from other kids, not getting invited to the birthday party. The list goes on and on. It’s important to get kids to think more positively.
It’s hard to have a positive life if you’re always thinking in a negative way. There are many ways we can encourage a child to think and be more positive. One good way is to stop your child when they say something negative and turn it into something positive.
If we as parents, caregivers, teachers and coaches do this every time we hear something negative, we can begin to change a child’s thought process. Positive thinking leads to positive outcomes. Here is a chart to help your child be on their way to positive thinking.
Things I Say I’m Going to Say This Instead
| I can’t do this, it’s too hard, I give up! | Let me try a different strategy. I’m going to keep trying, I’m not a quitter! |
| I’m not good at this. | I might have to put more effort into this. |
| I can’t do any better! | There’s always room for improvement, let me keep trying. |
| I am the best at this! | I’m doing well, but I can still learn more. |
| I always make mistakes. | I will learn from my mistakes and improve. |
| I always lose! | loosing helps me try harder and do better next time. |
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This is good enough! |
Is this really the best I can do? |
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I will never be that smart! |
I will take one step at a time and figure this out. |
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I tried a little bit. |
If I kinda sorta try, I get kinda sorta results. |
