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        It’s undeniable; there is negativity all around us. But in a world where so many see what isn’t right, we want to raise our children to have a positive mindset and not get bogged down by societal pressures and a mediocre attitude. We want happy, successful and positive children. To teach our children this, we must teach first teach them the foundation – which is the habit of being happy.

      Happy thinking is truly a habit, just as negative thinking. We can train ourselves and our children to think in certain ways by focusing on the good aspects of our everyday experiences. Sure, not everything will be perfect, but there’s growth to be had in difficulties and overcoming obstacles. We’re always confronted with things that are less than comfortable in life, but hopefully, we will see the challenge for what it is – the possibility of self growth.

        By seeing challenges as opportunities for self growth and mistakes as learning opportunities, we can help our children have a positive attitude towards life and habitual happy thinking. We all know people who are strong and encourage us to look on the bright side of life. We can be that type of person for our children and in fact, we should be. Our children look up to us as role models in attitude and behavior. 

      Children who are taught to see the silver lining, are in fact happier kids. They can evaluate a situation, seeing both positive and negatives but choose to look at the negatives with wisdom because they were taught that there is always something good within it.

Help your child learn the habit of happy by asking “what is one good thing that can come out of this situation?’ and other questions like this, especially when your child feels challenged.

       The habit of happy empowers children and gives them hope throughout their lives. As kids start to maintain a positive mindset, they believe there is good in every situation, they feel hope and will naturally look for the good in everything. Happiness will be around every corner for them, even if it doesn’t seem present in that particularly moment.   

  Studies show that happy people are healthy people. Happy people are less prone to sickness and disease and psychologically they are in better shape than negative thinkers. Interestingly, negative people have weakened immune systems caused by the stress and accompanying emotions of negative thinking. This goes hand and hand with high blood pressure and increased risk of cardiac disease. This should be enough for us to teach our children the habit of happy.  Negativity affects all aspects of our lives, including others around us.

  Negative people also have less friends. Most people would rather be in the energy of a positive thinker than a negative. Negativity makes everyone feel unhappy and less motivated.

    When raising a positive thinker, we are not raising children to live an illusion. We want them to be concerned and not shrug off important matters in life. However, we want them to maintain an optimistic mindset which enables them to live happier and be healthier long term. Teach your children to laugh often, and encourage them to find the deeper meaning in difficult situations. Share your own victories with them and positive outcomes that have come out of your own life challenges. This will help them grow and mature.  Your children will adapt your style of thinking and your nuggets of wisdom may become endless treasures as they become adults .

     It’s important that you help your child realize that he is in control of his thoughts. If he has a negative attitude about something, point out to him that he can choose to see it differently. You want to be attentive and always validate your child’s feelings, but you also want to show that there is another way of looking at life and experiences. After all, life is all about experiences. We may not always be able to choose our exact experiences, but we can certainly choose how we view them.

Before bed every night, ask your child about the good and not so good things that happened during the day. With the things that weren’t so great, see how you can brainstorm to find the silver lining.

    Helping your child have the right mindset and a happy attitude will propel them into a bright future like nothing else.  Kids with a happy attitude and a positive mindset will try harder and persevere more often because they believe in a positive outcome.

Mellisa's Personal Recommendations for Happy Kids: The Power of Positive Thinking for Kids MP3, One with the Universe CD or download