More Optimism Tips

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts;

to believe in the heroic makes heroes.”
-Benjamin Disraeli

Since our theme this session is optimism, and it’s one of my favorite topics, I've been reading up on the topic and thinking about how it relates to my own family and to our campers. I thought I’d share with you some of what I’ve learned about the importance of teaching kids to be optimists.

According to Dr. Christine Carter in her booking Raising Happiness, “Ten-year-olds who are taught to think and interpret the world optimistically are half as prone to depression when they later go through puberty.” Wow! With the rising statistics on kids and adults who suffer from depression and anxiety, that’s a pretty powerful reason to focus on helping our kids be more optimistic!

Carter recommends three ways parents (and counselors) can help kids be more optimistic: give affection; teach kids to cope with challenges and frustration; and model optimism ourselves. At camp, kids have ample opportunities to try new, often challenging activities. Learning to deal with the frustration of not being able to get up on water skiis on the first, second, third, or fourth try is a powerful lesson in both persistence and optimism. Our role is to help kids learn to handle setbacks and frustrations in a positive way and realize that “success is 99% failure.” (Soichiro Honda)

“Optimism is so closely related to happiness that the two can practically be equated," says Carter, whose research has found that optimistic people are:

• More successful in school, at work, and in athletics
• Healthier and longer lived
• More satisfied with their marriages

• Less likely to suffer from depression
• Less anxious

In an article titled “Raise Your Children to be Optimists,” Elizabeth Scott, MS, gives these ten tips for parents:

1. Help Them Experience Success

2. Give Credit for Success

3. Look for Future Success

4. Don't Praise Indiscriminately

5. Validate, but question

6. Remember Success in the Face of Failure

7. Look for "Opportunities to Improve"

8. Look for the Bright Side

9. Don't Use Negative Labels

10. Make an Example of Yourself

“The world always looks brighter from behind a smile.”

~Author Unknown

Smiling is another powerful tool in promoting optimism, so we practice a lot of smiling around GAC!

During this second week of Session 3, we will continue to promote optimism and help campers have a more optimistic outlook. We hope their new optimism habits will help campers approach life more positively when they get back home!

Resources:

The Optimistic Child: Raise Your Children to be Optimists

Benefits of Optimism

Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents, by Christine Carter, PH.D.

The Greater Good Science Center, U.C. Berkeley

Optimism Activities (Fishful Thinking website)

Raising Optimistic Kids

As I parent, I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on making sure my children are getting a good education. I check to see that they are keeping up academically, that their school is challenging enough for them, and that they are getting a well-rounded education. I made sure to read aloud to them so that they’ll be good readers.

Happiness Habits: Gratitude, Optimism, & Kindness

“Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace and contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug.”

-Og Mandino

All of us want our children to be happy. In fact, when you ask most parents what they want for their child, they’ll often answer, “I just want him/her to be happy.”

Unfortunately, being happy is not easy for many people. According to a Psychology Today article written by Peter Gray, “Rates of depression and anxiety among young people in America have been increasing steadily for the past fifty to seventy years.”

Raising Optimistic Kids

One way to help your children develop Realistic Optimism is to help them notice the good in the world around them.

Karen Reivich, Ph.D.

In raising kids, much of our focus as parents is on their education.  We want them to do well in school so that they will have opportunities and eventually be able to lead productive lives as adults.  But developing their intellects is just one piece of helping our children grow into happy, healthy adults.   In the recent documentary movie, "The Race to Nowhere," a spotlight was placed on our culture's focus on achievement over happiness and the devastating effects this focus is having on our children's mental and emotional health.  One way to combat the ultra-competitive culture and stress we and our kids face daily is to "stop and smell the roses."  I believe getting outside in nature is a great way to combat worries, bad news, hectic schedules, and the stress that can permeate our lives.   Teaching our kids optimism starts with working on being optimistic ourselves.   Pointing out a beautiful sunset, taking a walk at dusk, going on a family bike ride, and looking at the stars are just a few ideas of how we as parents can steer our kids towards noticing the beauty and good that is in the world.  If you want to read more about raising optimistic kids, I encourage you to visit the "Fishful Thinking" website: "Fishful Thinking" Optimism Articles.