Toddlers are at a very impressionable age. They soak up everything that is around them; it’s one of the reasons why they make so many messes. But if you’re looking for another way to teach your toddler something other than how to put stickers on the wall, consider using positive thinking exercises. Positive thinking exercises can help your toddler improve their concentration and learn how to deal with stressful situations. From day one, toddlers are active in their learning process. They are curious about the world and are eager to explore. This activity helps them develop strong concentration and makes them more independent. You may be surprised by how much easier these techniques make life better for both of you!
Find a daily “awe moment” for your toddler.
It’s important to look for the positive moments in your child’s day. When they do something that makes you feel good, say so. Try to focus on their strengths, not their struggles or flaws. Don’t expect perfection from yourself or your child—perfection is a goal that will make both of you miserable! Focus on growth and learning instead of getting everything right all the time (which is impossible). If you’re having trouble seeing what’s working with your toddler, ask someone who knows them well for help identifying their best qualities and strengths—they may be hiding in plain sight!
Use kind words and thoughts to help your toddler learn self-kindness.
Teach them to be kind to themselves, be kind to others, and teach them how important it is for everyone in the world, from animals to plants, trees, and water sources too.
If you’re looking for ways to encourage kindness in your toddler, start with how you talk to them.
Children learn by example, so it’s imperative to set a good example. When you say things like “you’re so kind” or “I love how you helped me,” your toddler will start associating kindness with those words. It can be very hard for kids to see themselves as kind, so if their parents encourage them by saying nice things about them and praising their actions, they’ll start believing they are kind.
You can also use kind words and thoughts to help your toddler learn self-kindness. For example, if your toddler keeps making messes in the house, instead of yelling at them or getting frustrated, try saying something like, “I know it’s hard for you to clean up after yourself because people are coming over.” When kids hear positive language from their parents when they’re having problems with something like this, it helps them feel better about themselves and their behaviour.
Soothe your toddler when they are upset.
You could do many other exercises to teach your children that they are not the only people in the world with feelings and problems. But we don’t want them to forget how important it is that they know how to calm themselves down.
An effective method: When your child is upset, go out into the yard and play a game they make up by themselves. Try to have fun for about 20 minutes or so, or until they become tired and go back inside. We agree that this won’t work every time, but it should work for most of them.
Here’s what a mom of three had to say about how she soothes her daughter:
“We don’t have those big meltdowns where my daughter screams at the top of her lungs and tears up everything within reach — at least not lately — but sometimes we still need help calming her down. My toddler used to be terrified of any place with an open door or window, whether or not there were any people around her age present — as you can imagine, this makes going places sometimes rather difficult — so now I’m more open to letting her go places on her own whenever possible; if nothing else then just so that I feel like I’ve done just enough as a parent by making myself presentable enough for company.”
Encourage sharing and helping.
You can encourage sharing and helping by:
- Showing your child that you enjoy helping others. You might do this by volunteering in a soup kitchen or collecting donations for a charity.
- Let your toddler know that you’re proud of them when they share their toys or clothes with other kids.
- Teach your toddler to help people who need it (by carrying groceries or retrieving lost items). Don’t force them to share or help—just explain why it’s important and let them lead the way. Don’t punish them if they don’t want to share or help; try again later but in a less demanding way. And don’t reward them when they do choose to share or help!
Create a morning routine that starts the day with positive thinking.
A morning routine is a great way to start the day on a positive note, and it can be as simple or complex as you want. It can be as simple as waking them up by saying good morning to your toddler daily and hugging them, or it could be more involved like getting dressed, eating breakfast, reading a book, and playing outside together.
At this age, there’s no reason your routine can’t include fun activities such as taking turns singing songs with each other or having dance parties that end with tickle fights. You may even want to try making silly dances for each other that have unique hand motions for different parts of the song—this will help you focus on what’s important: being playful together!
Be authentic and use positive thinking exercises yourself.
- Be authentic with yourself.
- Be honest with others.
- Be honest with your children.
- Be honest with your spouse/significant other, family members, friends, and colleagues.
Teach your toddler how to identify positive emotions.
It’s important to teach your toddler how to identify positive emotions. A positive outlook on life can keep you happier, healthier, and more productive. Repeat this mantra after us:
- Positive emotions are good for your health
- Positive emotions are good for your mental wellbeing
- Positive emotions are good for your physical wellbeing
- Positive emotions are good for your relationships
- Positive emotions are good for your productivity
Develop coping skills so your children can clear their minds of negative thoughts or problems on their own.
- Take deep breaths. When your child is feeling anxious, teach them to breathe deeply. This will help their body relax and clear their mind, making it easier for them to think positively about whatever’s bothering them.
- Meditate. Find a quiet place where you can sit in silence together, close your eyes, and meditate together for a few minutes each day.
- Go on a walk-in nature with your child or take them hiking or camping if they’re old enough. Nature has been shown to have powerful effects on emotional wellbeing, particularly among children who suffer from depression and anxiety disorders – so get outside as much as possible! If you live in an urban area like most people do today, try going down an alleyway between buildings or into backyards instead. Those places aren’t used by everyone all the time, so they tend not to be crowded with people running around everywhere like downtown sidewalks tend to be; this means there won’t be any fear of bumping into strangers while enjoying some fresh air at the home base either!
Focus on your child’s strengths, not weaknesses.
One way to help your child develop positive thinking is by focusing on their strengths, not their weaknesses. For example, if you notice your child has trouble remembering directions and frequently gets lost in the house, don’t say something like: “You should try to remember where things are!” Instead, focus on the positives of your child’s memory—the fact that they can memorize song lyrics quickly or have an excellent recall for facts about animals—and encourage them to think about those strengths.
If you teach them when they’re young, they may be able to take these lessons with them throughout their life.
As parents, we expect our children always to be happy and successful. You can help them reach their goals by teaching them positive thinking habits. This is something that will benefit them throughout their lives, even when they’re older.
Your toddler needs to learn how to think positively from the beginning of their childhood. This can be difficult if they have a lot of negative influences in their life, so it’s up to you as a parent to make sure that doesn’t happen. If you teach them when they’re young, they may be able to take these lessons with them throughout their life.
Before we sign off,
Finding time for positive thinking exercises can be challenging when busy with your toddler and their daily needs. But with some creativity and a tiny effort, you can incorporate these exercises into your daily routine without even realizing it. As long as you make it a priority to teach your children how to think positively, they will be ready when they go off into the world on their own—and maybe even teach others!