Children's Education - Changing Negative Thinking

Psychologist & Author David Palmiter, PhD, explains the impact that negative thinking can have on kids, and what parents can do to help their kids be less pessimistic

Just seeing a list of negative words for a few seconds will make a highly anxious or depressed person feel worse, and the more you ruminate on them, the more you can actually damage key structures that regulate your memory, feelings, and emotions. You’ll disrupt your sleep, your appetite, and your ability to experience long-term happiness and satisfaction.

Negative thinking isn’t something that just plagues adults. It also plagues kids. In the book Freeing Your Child From Negative Thinking: Powerful Practical S

Quick! Stop the planes! Rather than let your child's interpretations of normal life events make them take a nose-dive in their mood, there are simple steps that parents can take to help kids turn things around. But take note, the answer may be different from what you think. Most parents take the boomerang approach-if their child is very negative, they feel compelled to force them to find the positive. As any parent who has tried this can tell you, it doesn't end well. When faced with this response from parents, kids typically feel that their parents really don't understand, and as a result, feel compelled to turn up the volume on the negative-they think that maybe then their parents will get it.

Here’s my top 5 tips for dealing with negative thoughts: 1. Awareness. the first step is to be aware of when you’re experiencing negative thoughts.