Helping your child to choose their attitude
The way we respond to children and interact with them early in the day is important. It sets them in the right direction for the rest of the day and helps them to overcome the hurdles life throws at them throughout the day.
I recently listened to Debra Searle talk about her epic 3 and a half month journey rowing alone across the Atlantic Ocean. It was intended that she would row from Tenerife over to Barbados with her husband, but he became ill after the first few weeks and they had to request a rescue craft (which took a week to get to them) and Debra had to make the choice whether to give in or continue alone. In her inspirational speech she spoke about how she almost rowed in front of a container ship and how a turtle nearly sunk her, but most she spoke about her emotions.
Debra found that she chose her attitude in the morning and let this influence her throughout the day. Now, I am not comparing Debra’s 14 week journey to parenting, but what it did make me this think was how infectious our attitude is. When we are greeted by someone friendly and welcoming, we find ourselves responding in a friendly manner (most of the time) even if we didn’t feel like that before. If we go to work with a positive attitude then whatever the day throws at us, we find it easier to meet the hurdles with a smile.
And it is no different for our children. If they are greeted with a wealth of positivity in the morning, that will boost them up throughout the day. Even better than that a happy friendly child is more likely to attract friends, we all want to hang round with happy successful people. Likewise when they are given that horrible geography task that they hate, then they can face it with a positive attitude.
Choosing your attitude every day can really change your family’s lives. Take a hard look at yourself in the mirror in the morning and decide what the attitude you will face things with. What is the attitude you are going to radiate to everyone you meet? What is the attitude that you are going to face adversity or challenge with? How will you chose the attitude you handle criticism with? And far more importantly when are you going to start showing your children how they can chose their attitudes?
Changing the outlook on children’s attitude will have a huge impact on their lives. They will have the skills to choose their attitude every day of their lives, be able to choose how they handle the challenges that life throws at them, be confident when dealing with adversity (and chose which bits to ignore). Just imagine what the impact of you having that one conversation with yourself?
If you want to know some of the other secrets that other parents are using to help their children succeed in the future, then sign up for a free month of my parenting network, Help My Child Grow.
