Brightline
Jan 7, 2025
Working on an attitude of gratitude is something that can benefit the whole family. If you haven’t started building thankfulness yet in your home, we have good news for you:
Any time is the perfect time to start.
Think of gratitude as optimism’s best friend. The more good you look for, the more you’ll find. And the more you find, the brighter your world looks and feels.
This isn’t to say that you or your child won’t have down days. And you don’t need to pretend things are perfect when they aren’t. You’re not ignoring the hard stuff, you’re choosing to find something to be grateful for while you’re going through it.
That emotional muscle you and your child are building is one that can be flexed even when — especially when — things aren’t great.
One word that can help develop that optimistic muscle is hope. How do you find hope and optimism? There isn’t one right way.
Here are five ideas to get you started:
Find hope in a challenge: Your child might not have mastered riding a bike, doing calculus, or reading. YET. Adding that one word to the end of a negative sentence rewraps it in a positive light. Look to the future and welcome the progress that is sure to come with practice!
Look for light in those around you: Have you ever heard the phrase birds of a feather flock together? If you or your child spends time with people who only see the hard things, you might focus on them, too. Encourage your child to look for people who make them feel light and lifted — at school, in the community, and in their social media feed.
See from a new angle: Help your child look for the good things that can come from hard situations. A new classroom might be scary, but it also might bring a new friend. Not making the soccer team is disappointing, but maybe it means there’s time for a different activity instead.
Unplug (then plug into your family, instead): Negative news and comparing your life to everyone else’s highlight reel can start to feel overwhelming. Turn the noise off and focus on your family instead. Time spent looking at those loving faces will make you and your child feel better than any app can.
Move your body, boost your mood: Your body is there for you, working hard even while you sleep. So while you’re awake, give it what it was made for — movement. Even light exercise can help you break a sweat, shake tension loose, and give both you and your child a welcome surge of energy.