For the past three months, we’ve stayed in our homes, practiced social distancing, worn masks and gloves while we were in public all for one reason. We’ve been trying to protect ourselves from a highly contagious virus known as COVID-19. Sadly, there is another type of infection that is far more contagious than coronavirus. It’s called the virus of negativity and pessimism. Yes, it’s essential to protect ourselves physically from something that can be fatal, like the coronavirus. However, what precautions do we take to help our kids protect their minds and emotions from the pandemic of negativity? As parents, how can you help your kids avoid exposing themselves to the highly contagious influences of pessimism and negativity? The cure is to stay optimistic. Before you write this off as some shallow, “feel-good” article that is unrealistic to our negative realities in the world, it’s essential to realize what optimism is not.

Optimism is not a denial of reality.

We don’t teach our kids to stick their heads in the sand and pretend bad things don’t happen to good people. Nor do we teach them to suppress their negative feelings or emotions when they’re hurt, fearful, or stressed about negative things going on around them.

Optimism is not blind faith.

Unfortunately, common sense isn’t very common these days. I think we forget that God gave us a brain, and He expects us to use it. Being optimistic doesn’t mean we go out and make irrational, dumb decisions in good faith.  

3 Ways to Help Kids Stay Optimistic

1. Teach them to take responsibility for their attitude.  

John Maxwell: “Life is 10% of what happens to us and 90% of how we react to it.”

Staying optimistic is a choice. It’s a matter of perspective. We can teach our kids to see the glass half-full or half-empty. Staying optimistic is a choice. 

The term optimism derives from the Latin word optimus, meaning “best.” Therefore, being optimistic, in the typical sense of the word, is defined as expecting the best possible outcome for any given situation. Even when your kids find themselves in the worst of circumstances, it’s important to remind them that they still have a choice. They can choose to focus on the “worst” case scenario, or they can choose to focus on the “best” case scenario. Staying optimistic means we choose to see the good that will come out of the bad experiences we encounter in our lives. 

2. Teach them to feed their positivity and starve their pessimism.

It’s important to help our kids understand that what we focus on expands. The more we focus on the negative, the “bigger” our problems and circumstances become in our minds. What consumes our minds controls our lives. Below are some suggestions on how to feed their positivity.

• Avoid prolonged usage of screen time and technology (video games, social media, negative music, and TV).
• Avoid negative friendships. Our friends are like elevators. They are either taking us up or bringing us down.
• Read inspiring blogs, articles, or books/biographies that stimulate purpose and a positive outlook on life.
• Avoid negative talk. According to research, it takes five positive affirmations to replace one negative comment.  
• Do a daily check-up from the neck up. Teach your kids to think about what they’re thinking about.
• Practice self-talk. Help your kids to recite daily declarations to themselves out loud and repeat them throughout the day.
• Do something nice for someone else.  
• Compliment someone else.  

These are just a few examples of how we can teach our kids to feed positivity and starve pessimism.  

3. Teach them to take the high road.

Optimism is a choice; we can choose to take the high road or the low road when it comes to negative people and problems.

The Low Road: We treat others worse than they treat us. 

The Middle Road: We treat others the same as they treat us. 

The High Road: We treat others better than they treat us.
Helping our kids to learn how to take the high road when negative people and problems come against them will help them to see the “best” and the “good,” even in the worst of situations, rather than playing the role of a victim. In our highly contagious world of negativity, it’s easy to look for somebody to blame for our unhappiness. When our kids learn to take the high road in life, it allows them to rise above their circumstances. We may not be able to control what happens to us, but we can choose our response. As the late Zig Ziglar once said, “There is very little difference in people. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.” Let’s help our kids stay optimistic!