![]() Look for and point out the good side to events and experiences. If children hear lots of optimistic comments, they are more likely to develop this way of thinking themselves. Monitor the running commentary on life that you present to your children. So what can parents do to encourage an optimistic outlook? Optimism helps children to learn from experience and try again. Olly’s optimistic habit of mind leads him to explain events in ways that are specific and that allow for change and future success. He asks his dad if they can go to the park after school this week so he can practise his passing: “The team isn’t having a great season and we need to win next week.” But in Olly’s version of events, the result wasn’t all his fault and it isn’t all doom and gloom. “We need to practise our finishing and our defensive passes,” says the coach, “We could have won that game 2-0.” Like Patrick, Olly feels bad about the result and knows he made an error. Optimistic Olly, on the other hand, hangs around with his teammates after the match and talks to the coach. Pessimistic Patrick’s interpretation of the match does three important things – it personalises ( it was because of me), globalises ( I am rubbish at soccer) and catastrophises ( they won’t pick me again). He is rubbish at soccer and the coach won’t pick him for the team again anyway so he might as well stop playing. According to Patrick, it is his fault they lost the match. In the car on the way home, he tells his dad he wants to stop playing for the Vikings. He puts his head down and leaves as quickly as possible. When he comes off the pitch, Patrick is upset. Or, the Vikings failed to stay firm defensively and were punished for not taking their chances.ĭespite both being equally involved in the same incident, Olly and Patrick choose different ways of interpreting the experience. The team has just lost a game 1-0 due to a defensive error by Olly and Patrick.įor the detached pundit, there are lots of different ways of interpreting this result, that’s why sports programmes usually have a panel of experts rather than just one! The Vikings were unlucky – they had possession for most of the game and narrowly missed going two goals up in the first half. Imagine two children (let’s call them Optimistic Olly and Pessimistic Patrick) who both play soccer for the local under 11s team (the Variable Vikings). ![]() Optimism is not about temperament, it is a habit of thinking that relates to how we interpret events. ![]() Pessimism, on the other hand, leads to helplessness and withdrawal – it doesn’t matter what I do, it won’t work, so there is no point in trying. Children who practise optimistic thinking are more resilient, they are less likely to give up in the face of challenge and they tend to interpret experiences in a way that gives them a sense of control and confidence. When it comes to thought processes, one of the most important habits of mind that children can develop is optimism. ![]()
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