Dear Dr. Robyn,. I have noticed that my child has a bad attitude about school and some of the work he does for school. I
SEPTEMBER 2016
DEAR DR. ROBYN
POSITIVE ATTITUDE Young students: “I look for the good in life!” Older students/teens/adults: An optimistic way of thinking, feeling & acting in the face of everyday challenges.
Dear Dr. Robyn, I have noticed that my child has a bad attitude about school and some of the work he does for school. It’s either “I hate this” or “I can’t do that” even before he’s tried it! His attitude is bleeding into other areas too. We don’t know how to help him- although we’ve tried! Any ideas? Dear Scott & Jodie; It can certainly be frustrating when our children jump to the negative even before they’ve attempted the tasks at hand. While everyone has their bad days, a negative attitude can be toxic and, as you are seeing, has the power of infringing on many areas of life.
Scott and Jodie R; Medford, MA and the benefit of letting go of anger. Teach him to be a detective and find something good in what he doesn’t like. Model it for him as well as in: “I don’t like having to attend these parent meetings but at least I get to see my closest friends, Maria and Jane.” This takes practice. Make it part of the everyday!
Here are 3 strategies to consider:
(2) Rework inner monologues: The words we repeat in our heads become our script for life. “I hate this” and “I can’t do that” are part of a negative mindset that can hijack our attitude and put us in a bad mood. Have him start saying, out loud, for example, “I am working on ‘this skill’-- and I’m getting better every day.” Let these types of words replace his inner, negative monologue.
(1) Positivity as a choice: While it may feel “unnatural” at first, teach your children to look for the silver-lining in the frustrating, the learning moment in the mistake,
(3) Dig into it: Is there anything behind his words? Is he upset, worried or angry about something that is happening at school or with his teacher? Create a safe
As caring parents, I am sure that you’ve tried to get your child to look at the bright side. However, since a positive outlook comes from within, a great deal of the “work” needs to be done by your child. Still, we can give our children strategies that they can use to retrain their attitude and create a habit of optimism.
For more Powerful parenting information, go to www.DrRobynSilverman.com. © 2016 Powerful Words Character Development
