Hi, its great to see you here again!

The other day I was working through a book about accelerated learning and came to an interesting statistic. Jack Canfield (famous for his co-authoring of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series) organized a survey where the words spoken daily by school aged children were noted.

The mindset of children today.
A team of surveyors followed 100 children for a complete day making a note of the number of negative and positive statements that each child spoke during that day.

The results were staggering:
Positive statements spoken — over 72!
Negative statements spoken — over 650!

Take into account that it takes 5 positive declarations to counteract 1 negative statement and it is clear we are facing a serious problem with our children today. I am sure that we would be equally amazed at the results if we followed 100 adults for a complete day also.

Is it any wonder that statistics show that 82% of 6 year olds are confident about their ability to learn while only 18% of 16yr olds share the same confidence! (Statistics and survey information taken from “Accelerate Your Learning” by Colin Rose and Loise Goll).

How to be a part of the solution.

It is clear that our children need as much positive reinforcement as they can get every day. The surest place for them to get this is at home (because YOU can set the atmosphere).

This means that at home you need to make sure that your children ONLY hear positive declarations and words of encouragement all the time.

Do you want your child to grow up with a positive and creative mindset, ready to succeed in life?
I am sure you do! So here are some ideas to help you add more positive ideas and affirmations to your child’s life. This will of course boost their self esteem and confidence.

• Seek to make at least 5 positive and encouraging comments to your child each day.
  
• Try to give your child some one on one attention every day. A chat over a hot chocolate or orange juice would be good, especially if they know they have your undivided attention. This may only take a few minutes, but it will make a huge difference to your child’s day.
  
• Write a short note that will encourage your child and let them know that you believe in them. This note could include a famous quote that may relate to something your child is facing right now, and would encourage them to believe they can conquer. Leave it under their pillow, or put it in their lunch box.
  
• Look for all the positive traits and behavior in your child and affirm them.
  
• Encourage your child to pursue the things they express interest in. Affirm that they can do anything they want to do. Encourage them to declare their own confidence in their abilities too.
  

Make every effort to encourage your child to succeed and you will also enjoy the added benefit of a stronger bond with them.

May All Your Relationships be Successful!