B!Character Strength: Optimism

Guidelines for parents of 1rst and 2nd year of Secondary School - January B!Character Strength

GOAL SLOGAN: I LOOK FOR THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THINGS

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.

The questions below are designed to help you think about how you can help from home with the skills development programme your child is taking part in.

Is there an optimistic mood in our family? Do we often joke around?
In your conversations, do we try to be positive, or do we often end up feeling negative about things?
It’s good that children can see that issues and setbacks can be accepted positively. Are we aware of this? Do we put it into practice so as to give an example?

HOW CAN WE HELP?

The suggestions below show when personal parental involvement is necessary. The aim of the subjects proposed is to demonstrate where you might be able to support your child and help him work on developing this month’s skill.

We need to try and become the living memory of our child’s most inspired moments, remembering those times when he did something well.
It is a good idea to support our children with their problems and issues. For this support to be effective we need to listen to them with empathy. Following the steps outlined below will help in this respect:
1. Listen to them when they talk about their problems and explain back what they have told us but using different words (e.g. “So your friend Marc isn’t talking to you”).
2. Try to understand and describe their feelings (e.g. “I suppose that you’re unhappy because one of your best friends is not talking to you.”)
3. Discover the needs that these feelings are expressing (e.g. “You’d like things with Marc to be like they were before, right?”)
4. Help him to see how these needs can be met. (e.g. “What could you do to make things better?”).
Encourage optimism. When asking your children to fulfil their obligations, explain the positive results that their efforts will bring in the future, the future of others, as well as to the family and to society.
Provide them with examples about how to solve problems: try to overcome problems in a positive manner and react with calm when faced with disagreeable surprises.