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Every parent and adult knows that life comes with its own set of challenges for everyone, and nothing is promised or predictable. The good times can make you feel great about yourself, but the bad times can just as easily drag you down and cause you to start doubting yourself, if you don’t nurture your ability to take things in stride and stay positive. This is why teaching your kids to look for the silver lining in every situation is so important. This way, even when things don’t go their way, they still retain their self esteem and maintain their calm demeanor. But how do we instill this underrated life skill into our kids? If you’d like to find out, then this is the article for you. Keep on reading!
1. Morning And Night Meditation And Prayers
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If you come from a particularly religious family then you are probably already familiar with the practice of taking out some time in the morning and night to pray about all the things you are grateful for and hope to accomplish, and that’s great. Praying or spending time in meditation is a great way to start and end your day on a positive note. But even if you don’t believe in a higher power, it can be helpful to spend a few minutes a day simply reflecting on a kind act that someone did for you or that you did for someone that day.
You can think about the things that you want to accomplish throughout the day and the mindset you want to have. This way, you are intentionally creating a positive mindset which will help you face the hurdles and challenges you may face along the way. Remember, the mind really does maketh the man, so spend some alone time with yours and ensure that your kids do the same. You can teach them a small prayer or do a 10 minute meditation together. Whatever works for you and your family.
2. Be A Role Model For Your Kids
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If you’ve got a little one, you know they love to follow you around. They are watching you all the time and love imitating your behavior. And although this can be hilarious or annoying at times, this is how your child learns how to act in different situations, they observe. So if you’re someone who loses their cool at the drop of the hat, your kids will learn to do the same. This doesn’t mean you lie to your kids and tell them that everything is fine when it isn’t. But rather, show them that it’s okay to experience difficulties and that they can be handled with grace. This way, whenever your child is having a rough day, they will learn to voice their concerns or communicate what they want to you. Maybe they need time alone to process what’s happened or maybe they need you to comfort them.The important thing is to teach your kids how to handle hardships by showing them how it’s done.
3. Teach Them To Embrace Failure And Rise Above It
Everyone has failed at something in their life before they got better at it. That’s what learning is. It’s figuring out how to do something while making mistakes. If your child is too scared to try doing anything because of their fear of failure, that’s the real loss. Teach your kids that it’s normal to experience failure and setbacks. Sure your kids will feel disappointed but that’s part and parcel of the game. As parents, you must realize that you can’t always be around to protect your kids from failure, nor should you strive to. This is how your kids learn to deal with the unpleasant lessons of life in healthy ways.
4. Stop Fussing Over It
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Sometimes the magical recipe to solving something is to simply leave it alone. Now in most cases you do have to be proactive about solving problems and prioritize getting your life in order. Except if all that fussing is only leading to more problems due to overthinking. Sometimes, things are not as serious as they perceive them to be. And they will resolve themselves with time. Teach your kid to be patient and leave their problems at hand for a short while. Not everything can be resolved in one day, especially if it involves several people. Instead, taking a break will rejuvenate them and even help them see things from a different perspective. It’s okay to take a step back and not let small issues drain you. After all, everyone, even kids, need a reset button sometimes.
Teaching your kids to stay optimistic and excited about life when the going gets tough can be hard. But it’s an important skill to have as they will eventually deal with challenges. So encourage them to face them head on with a bright attitude!
