HOW TO RAISE AN OPTIMISTIC CHILD

It’s important for parents to help their children become more optimistic, to help them adopt a “can-do” attitude and have the confidence to try new things, meet new people and solve-problems without too much stress.

Without optimism, your child will lack excitement for the future and may struggle with anxiety. Here are some tips from an independent school in North Kensington to help parents raise an optimistic child.

The best thing you can do to help your child become more optimistic is to provide them with a positive, enthusiastic environment where they can thrive. Try and help them to experience new things on a regular basis, even if its just a new board game or a new recipe for dinner. 

Praise them when they display good behaviour or you see them try hard at something, whether that be schoolwork or something unrelated. When they face a challenge or fail at something, explain to them that life is full of ups and downs and that they will learn from their mistakes. 

Essentially, the trick is to help them feel supported and loved no matter what, so that they have the confidence required to take risks.

Try and take a step back sometimes and let your child figure things out on their own. Yes, you should be their biggest cheerleader, but try and do it from the side-lines from time to time. 

This will help your child learn that they are capable of anything they set their mind to and strong enough to tackle obstacles without having you to fall back on all the time. 

As a result, your child will be more optimistic about future challenges, whether that be an exam or a personal pursuit.

You should also try and talk to your child about exciting things coming up in the future, including their hopes and dreams. Some of these might be a little far-fetched whilst they’re young, but the trick is to encourage them to be positive about life and what’s to come, rather than worried or unenthusiastic.