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quick trick: the power of positive talk

home / family life / parenting / quick trick: the power of positive talk
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I had a conversation with a neighbor a few weeks ago that took me way back to second-grade class when my teacher continually referred to my class as “the smartest class she ever had” and said we were her room full of “hard workers and smart students.”

Hearing her proudly refer to us this way–whether she meant it or not–pushed us to live up to her expectations. I really believe it did; I was proud to be a part of her “smartest group ever” because that meant that I was one of her smarties.

This recent conversation with an acquaintance was completely the opposite of my experience back in second grade. When asked whether or not my Owen would be starting kindergarten in the fall, I said, No, we’re going to wait to send him because he has such a late summer birthday. We think it will be best if he begins school the following year.

This person went on to say, But he knows his numbers and letters. She (insert her 4 year-old daughter’s name who was standing beside her) doesn’t know her letters, and she can’t even write her name. You’re going to make Owen the head of the class. (Insert name) will be totally behind no matter when she starts. And she walked away.

I’m not going to get into the anxiety that our decision to ‘red shirt’ Owen has caused us; that’s a whole other story. What I want to stress is the fact that kids pick up on these conversations, these messages–direct or indirect–which they hear from the adults in their lives.

And that is today’s Quick Trick–speaking positively (or as positively as possible) in front of your kids. It’s something that I struggle with some times, but that I’m trying really, really hard to make habitual.

  • Powerful Positive Talk: In front of your kids, let them hear you praising them for their accomplishments, their patience, their journeys, their being. The more they hear that they’re smart, that they’re creative, that they work hard, that they’re kind and loving kids, the more they’ll believe it themselves, right?

It’s not always easy–this I know. Sometimes when I finally see a pal or two at kindergarten or preschool drop-off, my first inclination is to vent, especially if we’ve had a tough morning. I want to let all it go with an:

Oh my GOSH it was a ridiculous morning. Maddy was an absolute mess, hysterically crying because she said she didn’t want to go to school. Cora was a hot head–quick-tempered all morning, screaming and yelling because she was up all night saying that she doesn’t like her room and is afraid of shadows. And Owen still cannot tie his shoes. Can you believe it? He started a huge screaming fit as we walked out the door because he couldn’t do it. Someone find me a sitter because I totally can’t get through today with these kids.

But really?! Do I want to label Maddy as a school-hater? Do I want label Cora as a bratty, hot-tempered 3 year-old who’s got a problem sleeping? Do I want Owen to hear me confirming that he can’t tie his shoes, something he’s sensitive about already? No. No, and no.

Child psychologists all over the place say the same thing: When our children feel like we believe in them, they often grow to believe in themselves (Dr. Michelle Borba, Boosting Kids’ Success Quotients by Building Positive Self-Beliefs. 03/23/10).

I love these four steps that Dr. Borba mentions that parents can take in order to “boost self-beliefs and to boost your child’s success quotient”:

  1. Convey to your child, “I believe in you”: Among other points she makes here is one I feel is incredibly important–avoid using negative labels for your child; never let anyone else label your child; avoid making comparisons; and refrain from using generic labels. Instead, turn the negative to positives to help your child develop a more positive self-image.
  2. Set expectations that enhance success: Parental expectations are a huge determinant in children’s success. The expectations that parents set should encourage kids to try new possibilities, expand their potential, and nurture their self-confidence.
  3. Nurture strong, internal self-beliefs: Model positive self-talk with your children, and nip the negative talk in the bud–theirs and yours.
  4. Help your child see success and develop an “I can” attitude: Focus on improvements your child is making, and help him to record progress. Doing so will show him how he’s growing and will help his self-beliefs grow.

Dr. Becky Bailey’s Conscious Discipline follows a similar thread in her Encouragement and noticing ideas. She says that “encouragement is a dose of hope, and people need hope to feel safe. When your child is having a hard time obeying you, he needs to believe that you have faith in him. He needs to sense that you have confidence in him before he can develop self-confidence” (from Conscious Discipline).

Parenting is hard. Really, really hard. And we all need to get the tough stuff off of our chests sometimes so that we stay sane and so we learn that we’re not alone in our struggles. Goodness knows I’ve earned the ‘complainer crown’ more times than I can count. But I think if we save our ‘venting’ conversations to times when our kids aren’t in earshot, we’re all better off in the long run.

I’m not pretending to be an expert on this stuff. A perfect parent I certainly am not. I just read a lot, respect what the professionals are saying, and will take any and all advice I can find from any reliable source.

Just a worthwhile little something to keep in your back pocket. Here’s to keepin’ it positive!

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro · http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

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Comments

  1. Janine (@twincident)

    April 22, 2010 at 2:58 am

    Well, as a mom of twin girls who not only look different but act different this struck a chord with me.

    Why? Because everyone wants to label twins..
    "This one will be the student and this one will be the artist"
    "She's the athletic one."
    "She's the drama queen"

    The constant comparison is one reason I separated them in school at 3. And we celebrate their successes separately.

    If they are not interested in trying something it's because they are not interested…not because their sister is better than them at it. I hope anyway.

    Reply
  2. Busy Brissy Mum

    April 22, 2010 at 5:13 am

    All great advice Amy. The one that drives me crazy is when others make the comment that my kids are shy to their face. I've now heard Miss M say, "I'm shy Mummy." She is far from shy.

    Thought you might like to know I sent a shout out your way today in my blog post. Hope you don't mind.

    Reply
  3. Leah

    April 22, 2010 at 5:39 am

    It's SO true! Kids will live up–or down–to our expectations of them.

    Harvey Karp mentions this in "The Happiest Toddler on the Block"–he says to let your kids overhear you complimenting them to someone else; the "discovery" of your "secret" pride in them makes them all the more proud of themselves. That really stuck with me, and I'm really conscious to brag to my husband when our 2-yr-old shares, says "please" and "thank you", or does something unexpectedly cool.

    I also try to respond positively to other adults' inquiries about him ("How's [the boy] doing?" "Awesome; he can sing the whole alphabet song, and he shared his truck with Fred yesterday."), to get myself in the habit of thinking positively about him even when we've had a really hard day (and boy, are some of them hard!). I figure the positive talk builds him up, but also helps remind me of what all I love so much about him, even on the tough days.

    Thanks, Amy, this is great reinforcement! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Raising Z

    April 22, 2010 at 10:34 am

    This is such a great post, I wish I could pass it on discretely to a bunch of parents I know. I can't stand it when parents compare children or talk negatively about their child when they are standing right there! It is the fallacy of the empty vessel….

    My son is 3 1/2 but we have already decided to hold him back a year because of his late birthday. It is not his academics that worry us (he is the first born and had much of his teacher mommy's attention for 3 years :)). Socially, we feel it would be best for him to have another year. As a former teacher I saw so many children who had to stay back or should have stayed back because of their late birthdays. I would rather give my son an advantage than have him struggle.

    Thanks again for this post!

    Reply
  5. Becky

    April 22, 2010 at 2:56 pm

    Thanks for the reminder! It's so easy to get caught up in complaining, especially with other moms who can relate to my frustrations. Have you read Mindset by Carol Dweck? Her research shows the benefits of praising effort and creativity instead of talent and "brains." I really enjoyed it.

    Reply
  6. Teri

    April 22, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    Great post! As a preschool teacher, I totally applaud your decision to keep Owen back a year! I would be doing the same exact thing if I had a child w/ a summer-fall birthday.

    As for the other parent, why is she PUSHING her child along knowing full well that she isn't prepared? Parents so often don't understand or appreciate the gift of time – why push our children into something they're not ready for??? Don't we want them to succeed & be the best of the best? Doesn't she want her daughter to be the "head of the class" like Owen will likely be??

    Reply
  7. librarymama

    April 22, 2010 at 8:34 pm

    Thank you for this post! I am printing it out for our fridge to remind us to be conscious of what we are saying in front of our kids!
    Have you read the book, "Edwardo the Horriblest Boy in the whole Wide World" by John Burningham? This book illustrates this perfectly!

    Reply

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