The world is full of negativity. With all the war, civil unrest, calamities and natural disasters that are being broadcast in television regularly, it becomes very hard now to have a positive outlook in life.

Every parent dreams of having their children grow up to be smart and successful individuals in the future. Smartness can be instilled in children through proper education. However, being smart is not a guarantee that the child will become successful in the future. Children should also have positive attitude for them to become successful.

Although it is easy to guide the mental development of children through education; it is hard to develop positive attitude because of so much negativity around us. Factors that affect the development of positive attitude in children include the following:

– Destructive Thinking. There is too much violence in the media nowadays. Children if not guided accordingly have access to television and internet that shows violent news and videos. Even video games that the children play have violent themes. Because of this, children tend to develop destructive thinking.

– Atmosphere at Home. A child’s first environment is his/her home. Parents are considered to be a child’s first role models and therefore, if the parents have a negative approach in life, then the child will also develop this negative approach. Negative parents develop negative children.

Too much constant criticism by the parents may also instil an attitude of low self-esteem in children. A child who is constantly criticized by his/her parents will develop an inferiority complex and will believe that he is a failure.

Parents who are also too protective and over limits the freedom given to their children may develop children who will become resentful and rebellious. Giving guided freedom to children will make them feel that they are trusted with enough responsibilities.

– Psychological Disorders. Although it is not as common, but there are times when children develop psychological problems which prevent them from developing positive attitude. Mental problems may develop early in a child’s life due to complications during the mother’s pregnancy. If the mental disorder is not diagnosed early then the child’s mental development may become limited.

In order to develop positive attitude in children, these things should be done:

– Develop a Healthy Home Atmosphere. One way of developing positive attitude in children is to develop a healthy atmosphere at home. This means that parents must exhibit positive attitudes at all times no matter how they were brought up by their own parents in the past. Avoid sarcasms and pessimism when dealing with everyday activities. Parents should also express openly their love for one another and tell their kids that they love them constantly. Knowing that he/she is loved and belongs to a happy family will help a child develop positive attitude.

– Encourage not Criticize. As part of growing up, children will take on different challenges. If the child fails at a challenge, do not criticize him or her; instead, encourage him/her by saying that you are proud of his/her effort and that you believe in him/her to do better the next time. Giving encouragement instead of criticisms will help instil positive attitude.

Encouraging children to take part in different activities and not criticizing them when they fail at it is a great way of making them confident of their capabilities.

Giving your child freedom and responsibilities will also help him/her develop positive attitude because it will give him/her a sense of being trusted enough to handle freedom and to accomplish the responsibilities given to him/her.

– Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Psychological Disorders. Parents should be observant enough to notice if their children have psychological disorders. If a parent notices something unusual about the mental development of their child, then it is best to have the child diagnosed and treated as early as possible.

Counselling through a certified psychiatrist may be the best advice if the child’s mental and emotional development is hindered.

Children will develop positive attitude when they know that they are loved at home and are trusted enough to be given their freedom to do certain things that are appropriate to their age. Encouraging children to tackle different challenges and making sure that parents are proud of him/her even if he/she fails helps the children develop self-confidence and positive attitude.

Author Bio: Article by Craig Desmier of OutdoorSofa.com, a website with the largest selections of wicker outdoor sectional and outdoor wicker loveseat for your household needs.

Category: Parenting
Keywords: Positive Attitude Development for Kids