Raising Optimistic Children in Tough Times
Optimist blogger is devoting 21 days to the topic of raising optimistic children. Many may fear that the current tough times will overwhelm children to feel hopeless and helpless. Optimism guru Dr. Russ Buss takes the position that the tough times are actually a golden opportunity to teach our children the skills of optimism needed for a lifetime.
Okemos, MI (PRWEB) June 7, 2009 -- Is it possible to raise optimistic children in these tough times? Dr. Russ Buss opines that it may actually be easier to raise an optimistic child in tough, rather than easy, times.
In his Memorial Day post we learned that WWII Easy Company soldiers were prepared for the difficulties of war from growing up in the crucible of the Great Depression. Michael J. Fox has made it clear that as a father, he does not want to shield his children from all the pain and troubles of life.
Optimism seems to be taking a beating from news of foreclosures, terrorists' threats, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, unemployment, bank failures, and the fall of the American icon GM. The 50s, 60s and 70s were relatively good times. Parents who gave birth between 1946 and 1960 likely grew up in the Great Depression, and had a unique sense of optimism to pass on to their kids.
Children raised in the good times of an expanding economy and the new wealth middle class grew up on easy street, and like the "flower" children, were more likely to be idealists rather than optimists. Idealism rather than optimism may have been the spirit needed to fight in the civil rights and Vietnam War protests of the 1960's and '70's.
In the six weeks between Mother's day and Father's day, it seems appropriate to spend three of them on optimistic parenting: teaching children to become lifetime optimists.
Beginning on June 1st, Dr. Russ Buss scribed strategies for raising optimistic girls. Dr. Russ told us that girls may be more at risk of developing pessimism and vulnerability to self-doubt in the face of failure than boys. Developmentally ahead on average than boys, girls perform well in school early on, and are told "you are good at this." Boys, on the other hand, are told to "keep trying harder."
Dr. Russ Buss has listed ten reasons why he believes it is easier to raise an optimist in tough times rather than easy times. Below are a few of these highlighted points:
| | - Children have more opportunities to "learn they can do it on their own."
- Children who learn they can "do without" during a downsizing of family income learn not to fear the future.
- There are many great personal stories of rebirth and self-reinvention that children can read, view, and listen to.
- In an age of volunteerism, children's optimism and self-worth can thrive when they become dedicated to a cause larger than themselves.
- A sense of optimism is bred in families that pull together into a cohesive unit.
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One key feature of the upcoming fourteen days on parenting will be Dr. Russ Buss's personal stories of lessons of optimism learned from his dad.
Get on the Optimistic Parenting "Buss" for the next two weeks! Tune in for your daily insight on raising an optimistic child.
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