There’s a lot to be said for having a sunny outlook on life. A number of studies suggest that optimists have:

·         Better physical and mental health with less depression and anxiety

·         Greater success at school, work, and sport

·         More satisfying relationships

·         Better coping skills

·         Have longer lives than pessimists

·         Faster recoveries from surgery

·         Better outcomes to chronic disease such as HIV and cancer

So a positive attitude sounds like a gift to give your child. Some children are naturally optimistic and resilient in the face of adversity. Others are more sensitive and tend to take setbacks badly. Fortunately, optimism is a skill you can learn. And children learn this mostly by observing their parents.

According to pioneering optimism researcher, Dr Martin Seligman, we need to teach our children to look at and change the way they think about the world and the things that happen to them. It's important that children realise their feelings and responses to events are not only caused by events, but what they tell themselves about the events.

To help your child look on the bright side of life, the Australian Resiliency Resource Centre suggests the following:

• Challenge pessimistic thinking. If your child blames himself when things don't work out, offer a positive. For example, if he falls off his skateboard and calls himself clumsy, say, “Hey, that was a difficult move you nearly pulled off. Bit more practice and you’ll have it sorted.”
• Egg him on. With encouragement and support, children learn to persevere and discover that they are quite capable of solving problems and facing challenges on their own
• Be a model of optimism. Children learn how to think and behave from their nearest and dearest. By being optimistic, you can influence the way your child sees the world
• Tell stories that promote optimism and perseverance. Choose stories of your own experiences, especially those from your childhood.  Or get a book or movie with an optimistic message
• Teach problem-solving skills. Show your child how to come up with a range of solutions (good and bad, practical and impractical), then evaluate them and choose the "best" option. Once they learn this skill, they can use it again and again, which increases their confidence in their ability to solve problems
• Emphasise strengths and acknowledge success. Always acknowledge your child's efforts and praise successes. When he doesn't succeed, talk up the positive aspects of the situation, such as how proud you are of his big effort. Never praise poor efforts
• Set high, realistic and achievable standards. This will encourage him to develop his potential and strive to do his best.