Optimism: Article Center
The experts weigh in! These articles explore optimism and will give you helpful hints and tips to put positive thinking into action for your family every day.
Positive Education: positive psychology and classroom interventions
Article by Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman et al. — Oxford Review of Education
"Positive Education: positive psychology and classroom interventions" by Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman et al. (Oxford Review of Education) – The theory that skills for happiness can be taught in school is explored.
- Kindergarten - Grade 2
- Grades 3-5
- Grades 5 & Up
"Optimism" — Embrace the Future
Mental Health Foundation Australia
Optimism, in the context of resiliency, refers to a sense of a positive future, to a tendency to find positive meaning in experiences, and a belief in one’s ability to impact positively on one’s environment. It has many benefits for mental health, including protecting against depression and anxiety. It also increases the likelihood of effective problem solving.
- Kindergarten - Grade 2
- Grades 3-5
- Grades 5 & Up
KidsHealth.org
The #1 site devoted to children’s health takes a look at stress, offering an explanation of the response and ways in which parents can help children manage it.
Using Positive Psychology in Your Relationships
Article by Lindsay Lyon (USNews.com)
Psychologist Shelly Gable explains how positive reactions can strengthen relationships.
Article by Gershom Gorenberg, Parents.com
Why an upbeat outlook is the #1 secret to kids' success.
- Kindergarten - Grade 2
- Grades 3-5
- Grades 5 & Up
How to Teach Kids Perseverance and Goal-Setting
Article by Marie Faust Evitt, Parents.com
To encourage perseverance, teach preteens how to set goals and work to meet them.
The Power of Family Rituals
Article by Barbara Biziou, Parents.com
Creating celebrations and ceremonies — even for life's smallest occasions — gives your kids memories to last a lifetime.
- Kindergarten - Grade 2
- Grades 3-5
- Grades 5 & Up
Raising Kids with Character
From Parenting.com
Paula Spencer shares her simple tips for raising kids with character.
Relaxation Techniques: Essential for Reducing Stress
From the University of Maryland Medical Center.
If you or your children are having trouble sleeping, try these relaxation techniques with them to get a good night's sleep: Progressive Relaxation, Toe Tensing, Deep Breathing, Guided Imagery, and Quiet Ears.
What is a Highly Sensitive Child?
Article by hsperson.com
A highly sensitive child is one of the fifteen to twenty percent of children born with a nervous system that is highly aware and quick to react to everything. This article discusses how to tell if your child is sensitive and what to do about it.
Temperament Characteristics: From Low Reactors to Big Reactors
Article by zerotothree.org
Low Reactors are children who seem less demanding than others. At the other end of the spectrum are Big Reactors who tell the world how they feel in a voice that's loud and clear.
- Pre-K and Younger
- Kindergarten - Grade 2
14 Little Ways to Encourage Kindness
Article by Kristine Breese, parents.com
These simple ideas teach your children to be nice, generous people, one good deed at a time. Great thinkers from Martin Luther King Jr. to the Dalai Lama to my daughter, Addison, all have had something to say about the importance of helping others.
Monsters Under the Bed: Understanding Kid Fears
Article by Reshma Memon Yaqub on parents.com
Many of kids' fears seem mystifying and irrational, but to them the world is full of threats. Many of kids' fears fade as kids develop, but if your child's fear persist and totally preoccupy him, he'll need your help to overcome them. We've got the top soothing strategies for his biggest fears — real and imaginary.
Stress Management for Parents
Article by ChildDevelopmentInfo.com
Parenting can be very stressful. Whether you are a stay at home parent or a working parent, a single parent or a married parent, mother or father, parent of one child or several children; remaining cool, calm and full of energy can help get you through the day.
The Highly Sensitive Child: Parenting Strategies
Article by FamilyEducation.com
A very sensitive child is not an easy child to raise. Fortunately, certain parenting patterns can help this child mature into a creative, insightful person.
Article By Kyla Boyse, R.N, University of Michigan Health System
Sibling rivalry is the jealousy, competition and fighting between brothers and sisters. It is a concern for almost all parents of two or more kids. There are lots of things parents can do to help their kids get along better and work through conflicts in positive ways.
Dealing with a Child's Anger
Article by Rose Allen, University of Minnesota Extension
Anger. It's one of our feelings, and it's an okay feeling to have. Just as children have a right to be happy, sad, lonely, or bored, they also have a right to feel angry.
Raising a sensitive child
Article by Sue Douglass Fliess, education.com
He cries at the drop of a hat – or a toy, in this case. She crumbles if you raise your voice at her, even slightly. He seems to have a bionic sense of smell. Before you write your child off as a drama queen, consider the fact that this behavior may be innate.
Praise That Builds a Child's Self-Esteem
Article By Joan E. LeFebvre, University of Wisconsin
In an effort to enhance their children's self-esteem, parents often use praise to recognize the efforts and accomplishments of their children. Obviously, recognizing our children's positive behavior is more likely to build self-esteem than dwelling on problems. But praise is not always uplifting.
Article by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Back talk--when your teenager rudely tells you that you are a tyrant or an idiot--has to be one of the hardest things for parents to deal with. Respect for parents is highly valued in every culture. Ways of showing respect differ from family to family.
Back talk: It stings, it shocks, it embarrasses, and it can turn your home into a battleground. You won't ever be able to avoid disagreements with your kids, but you can learn how to fight fair.
New Pressures on Working Moms, Families
Article By Mary Dulaney (From CareerBuilder.com– May 7, 2009)
In these trying economic times, moms are finding the balancing act between family and work is more challenging than ever.
Article by Illisa Cohen (From Working Mother - November, 2008)
The iconic song title "Don't Worry, Be Happy" may seem overly simple, but it does send a valuable message about being optimistic — one that applies even to little kids. While research on optimism suggests that it's at least partly genetic, experts also say that we can learn to be more positive, no matter how we're wired.
Article by Robert Barnett (from Parenting magazine—January 2007)
Ask a mom if she's happier now that she has a child and she'll usually say yes. In fact, around the world, children top the list of the most enjoyable things in life.
Resilience: Ingredient List
Article by Dr. Karen Reivich
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, to learn from failure, to be motivated by challenges and to believe in your own abilities to deal with the stress and difficulties in life.
Happiness is contagious in social networks
Article by Elizabeth Landau (from CNN)
If you're feeling great today, you may end up inadvertently spreading the joy to someone you don't even know. New research shows that in a social network, happiness spreads among people up to three degrees removed from one another. That means when you feel happy, a friend of a friend of a friend has a slightly higher likelihood of feeling happy too.
Optimism: A Key Ingredient to Happiness
Article by Dr. Karen Reivich
Optimism is the belief that things will turn out well. It is the expectation that good things will come your way and that you have the ability to control the direction of your life.
Live Long and Smile; Keep Smiling, Be Healthy
Article courtesy of Natural Life
Being an optimist could help you live longer, according to a Dutch study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine.