It is sad to say, but we live in a world filled with negativity being thrown at our children from many different angles. If we want them to be resilient and cope with the pressures of growing up then we need to teach them to develop a positive attitude from a very young age.
There are so many benefits to living with a positive attitude including;
- Having great relationships with others because, let’s face it, no one likes to hang out with someone negative and pessimistic all the time.
- Being healthier, because our mental well being strongly affects our physical well being
- Being more successful because positive people see the opportunity in everything
- Lower rates of depression and wanting to self harm.
- Lower rates of distress
- Better coping skills and resilience to the many different situations that will come along
When children are taught to develop a positive attitude early in life, positive thinking becomes a habit that can ease pressures.
The Magic Coat teaches children that while they cannot always control the events that happen in their life they do have control over how they react to every event.
Omelia and Pandora are the Oyster and the Pearl characters kept within the coat.
Children are taught that, as an oyster lays at the bottom of the ocean, lots of irritants and yucky stuff is washed into the oyster’s mouth. The oyster could close itself off from the world to stop these irritants from entering but instead the oyster secretes a substance called Nacre which slowly creates a pearl.
Omelia and Pandora are in the Magic Coat to remind us that when things come along and annoy or frustrate us we don’t need to close ourselves off or hide from the world. Instead we can secrete positive affirmations that will help us to become a strong, gem of a person just like Pandora because each of is is a gift to the world if we allow ourselves to be.
In the Magic Coat workshops children are taught to change any negative self talk statements to a positive one. For example;
- “I will have no friends” (negative statement)
- “I will make new friends by being friendly” (positive statement)
- Or another example;
- “I’m not good enough” (negative statement)
- “I love being unique and different to everybody else” (positive statement)
One thing my own daughters have loved doing is writing positive affirmations on sticky notes and placing them on their bedroom mirrors to read each day. Positive affirmations can include;
- I am happy
- I am smart
- I am beautiful
- I love myself just the way I am
- I have good friends
- I am loved
Incredibly the more we say these things the more we believe them. Then a strange thing happens and our world reflects our beliefs.
As a parent we can also;
- Remind our children that the reaction that they have to various life events is a choice. They can either choose to see the negative or do their best to always find the positive.
- Encourage your children to see the lesson in every situation. When we find what needs to be learned we can ensure that things are done differently, if needed, next time.
Every child should be living in a home environment that encourages positivity. This includes movie choices, books and games that are played. There should be plenty of opportunity for lots of laughs, love and affection. The childrens’ home environment should be their safe place.
Your childrens’s positive attitude can also be encouraged by allowing them to follow their passions (not yours!). When they are allowed to pursue something they love it not only allows them to feel positive about the world but also builds confidence.
Creating children with a positive attitude is not difficult if you encourage and role model the above recommendations from an early age. Never forget, though, that you are your childrens’ number one role model. Do you do your best to live with a positive attitude?