Children Need the Right Tools to handle adversity and prevent their overall well-being from declining. New research indicates that hopefulness can reduce childhood anxiety. Kids with hope have a sense of self-control and view obstacles as temporary. They are more likely to help others. As a parent, you can teach hope to give children skills to handle life when the road is bumpy.

Avoid Pessimism

Negativity is bad for hope. It is crucial to stop negativity in a child before it becomes a habit. Use codes such as pulling on your ear to encourage interrupting negative thoughts. You might also consider giving your child’s pessimistic voice a nickname to help them control their negative thoughts.

Use Mantras

Teach your child a positive mantra to use during challenging times. Then teach the child to use their phrase to reduce pessimism. You might consider setting the positive mantra as a phone screensaver.

Teach Your Child How to Brainstorm

With hopefulness, kids do not avoid problems. They take on issues because they know they can solve problems. To teach your child brainstorming, use the S.T.A.N.D. acronym to help them with the steps:

• Slow down so you can think
• Tell the problem
• Ask what else you can do
• Name everything you can do to solve it without judgment
• Decide the best choice and do it

Share Good News

Uplifting news keeps hope alive for children. Kids need to hear hopeful stories. Search for inspiring news stories to share with your children to help them find positivity in life. Remind them of their triumphs over struggles.

What If?

A pessimistic child will think of the negative probabilities. However, hopeful children learn to assess accurately. If your child doubts something, pose “what if” questions to help them think through possible outcomes realistically. These questions help kids see that potential consequences are not as bad as they imagine.

Celebrate the Small Wins

Even the smallest success can boost hope. View it as a gain, an improvement over past performance. Doing this will help your child identify and understand personal gains.

Increase Your Child’s Assertiveness

Teach your child assertiveness, the mid-point between passivity and aggression, to increase their hopefulness. Don’t forget body language. Teach your child confident body language. Finally, practice comebacks your child can use to stand up for themselves.

Gratitude Rituals

Hopeful kids are grateful. Start a meal-time ritual and have each family member reveal one thing for which they are thankful. At bedtime, please have your child name someone for whom they are grateful. You can also log your child’s appreciation in a family journal.

Teach Your Child to Embrace Service

Show your child that they can make a difference in others’ lives. It increases hope while building self-efficacy. You might start a charity box where your child can donate toys, clothes, and games. Deliver the items to a family so the kids can see their impact on others.

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