Children who have a negative temperament tend to display unfavourable traits such as constant complaining, being unhappy and having an overall unpleasant disposition. As a parent, dealing with such a child can be challenging. If your child seems to be in a bad mood frequently, it is important to take action. By developing specific coping strategies, you can help your child focus on the positive aspects of life. The good news is that you can assist your child in developing a more optimistic outlook. You should implement the following recommendations on a daily basis to assist your child in altering their perception of life’s obstacles and difficulties.

Confront negativity with positivity

Children may exhibit negative behaviour to seek attention from their parents. If a child frequently complains about everything, a parent’s instinct may be to snap at them, but this is not recommended. Instead of responding negatively, parents should calmly and politely address the child’s behaviour, staying positive throughout the interaction. For instance, if the child complains about the food, a parent could respond with, “I’m sorry you feel that way, but I think it’s delicious.” Keeping the interaction positive can discourage the child from continuing negative behaviour and eventually promote more positive behaviour.

Divert their attention

Young children tend to have short attention spans and they can often be diverted from their fussing. It’s best not to give in to their fussing but instead find something else that you approve of to distract them. For example, if your child starts to fuss while out, you can tell them that if they remain patient, you can stop for ice cream on the way home.

Promote optimistic thinking

A game that can promote optimistic behaviour in your child is the “unfortunately/fortunately” game. First, write down a few unfortunate situations on cards and mix them up in a hat. Your child can then pick a card and read the unfortunate situation out loud. For instance, “Unfortunately, my favourite toy broke.” Then, your child has to add a “fortunately” to the situation, like “Fortunately, I have other toys that I can play with.” This game encourages your child to think positively and find something fortunate in even the most difficult situations. It can also help your child develop a more optimistic outlook for the future.

Ignore their negative moods

Attempting to forcefully alter your child’s behaviour can result in a negative outcome where the child resists and becomes even more negative, damaging the parent-child relationship. When a child is exhibiting negative behaviour, it is not advisable to respond with anger or frustration, as this can exacerbate the situation. Instead, ignoring the negative behaviour is a better strategy.

Teach them to manage their emotions

Children who are not equipped to handle rejection or negative situations tend to react negatively to them. To help them deal with their emotions, you can encourage them to engage in their favourite hobbies to calm down. For example, if your child is upset because his friend cannot come over to play, you can explain to him that his friend’s parents may have valid reasons for not allowing him to visit. By doing so, you teach him to be empathetic towards the situation. Additionally, if your child enjoys drawing or painting, you can encourage him to create a beautiful picture for his friend or use art as an outlet to express his emotions.