It is common for children to feel inadequate when they face challenges.

Children are prone to self-doubt, which may influence them to think and speak negatively in their moments of inadequacy.

It's important to teach your child to self-talk positively so they can learn to manage their emotions and be more resilient.

Before you teach positive self-talk, you must first help your child understand what it means and how it benefits their mental well-being.

Help your child understand why they need to do away with negative talks and speak positively.

Also, create awareness around their negative words.

Speaking with optimism begins with the recognition of pessimistic statements.

Your child may be oblivious to the negative words they say and the influence it has on their outlook on life.

Furthermore, teach your child positive words.

You can support your child by helping them create a list of positive statements that can help boost their confidence and self-esteem.

Read on to learn more about how you can teach your child to self-talk positively.

Help Them Understand the Meaning and Benefits of Positive Self-Talk 

To properly teach your child to self-talk positively, they must first understand what positive self-talk means and how they can benefit from it.

Your child may not know why they need to stop being pessimistic and change their thinking.

Also, introducing your child to the concept of self-talk gives you a solid foundation to properly teach them how to engage in positive self-talk.

Explain what self-talk is and how practicing it can influence their thinking.

In addition, teaching your child the importance of having a positive outlook on life will build their resilience and willingness to face challenges head on.

Likewise, being optimistic will help them manage intense emotions and develop strategies to cope with emotional stress.

Furthermore, you can use practical examples in your teachings for better understanding.

You may use your personal experiences as examples of how positive thinking has helped you overcome difficult challenges to help them understand it better. 

Create Awareness About Their Negative Words

Your child may be unaware of their negative statements and how it influences their thinking.

Helping them recognize dismissive words is a way to teach your child to self-talk positively.

Also, make your child understand the power of words and how their choice of words affects them and others.

They may influence the thinking and confidence of other people if they speak to them negatively.

Studies have also shown how saying negative statements releases stress chemicals in the speaker's brain and that of the receiver.

Similarly, seeing examples of how words like 'can't,' 'will never,' 'not enough,' or 'failure' can be negative may help them realize how using such words affects their outlook on life.

Your child may sometimes become pessimistic under stress; help them understand that speaking constructive words can help reduce stress and influence their decisions.

Furthermore, identifying negative words helps your child learn how to rephrase those thoughts into positive ones.

They may consciously start to look out for pessimistic thoughts and replace them with positive ones.

Your child may eventually get rid of negative words as time goes by.

Teach Your Child Positive Words 

To teach your child to self-talk positively, you need to help them learn helpful positive words they can recite when facing challenges.

Positive affirmations are also an effective stress management tool.

You can help your child learn positive words by assisting them in creating a list of affirmations and memorizing them.

These affirmations can help them change their thinking and influence their choice of words.

It can also shape their beliefs, thoughts, and actions.

Similarly, helping to create craft works centered around positive statements can effectively teach your child positive words.

You may encourage your child to draw, write or make illustrations centered around positive affirmations to serve as a guide for them.

Furthermore, speaking positive words to your child when they don't perform up to their expectations is a way to help them cultivate a positive mindset.

Your child may use your exact words again when faced with the same challenge. 

Model Positive Self-Talk 

You are your child's first contact, and they may learn specific behaviors from you.

Speaking positively to yourself in their presence can teach your child to self-talk positively.

Similarly, children can be influenced by the actions of their parents, so it is important to be careful how you communicate in front of your child.

Speaking negatively in your child's presence may encourage them to do the same.

In addition, model positive self-talk when facing a challenging or frustrating situation.

Your child may be motivated by your optimism and want to do the same when faced with challenges.

Always avoid using negative statements in your moment of inadequacy.

Furthermore, you can also practice writing your declarations.

Write out positive statements you would want your child to model.

Doing this makes it easier to help them create their list of positive affirmations.

You cannot give out knowledge that you do not have.

Praise Their Efforts 

Pay more attention to your child's effort in their work rather than the result.

Helping your child appreciate their effort regardless of the outcome of their work is a way to teach your child to self-talk positively.

Also, focusing on their effort and the amount of work they put in helps them to understand that even though it does not turn out as they had planned, the important thing is that they put in the hard work.

Similarly, you may even praise your child before they commence anything; doing so helps them to improve their focus on the task.

Words of encouragement can boost your child's self-esteem and motivate them to put more effort into their task.

Furthermore, It is more beneficial to focus on efforts, so refrain from making negative comments about results.

Once your child learns how to appreciate their efforts, it makes them appreciative of themselves.

They may even repeat the behaviors that earn them positive reinforcement.

Conclusion

Developing the habit of positive self-talk is a process, but with constant practice, it can become second nature.

As a parent, you can support your child through this process to build their confidence and improve their mental well-being and development.

You can teach your child to self-talk positively by helping them understand what it means and how it benefits them, creating awareness around their negative words, teaching them positive words, modeling positive self-talk, and focusing on praising their efforts rather than results.

Resources 

https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-to-teach-kids-to-engage-in-positive-self-talk-5205084

https://www.thepathway2success.com/how-to-teach-positive-self-talk/

https://www.momjunction.com/articles/positive-self-talk-for-kids-examples-importance_00708881/

https://www.parentingforbrain.com/positive-self-talk-for-kids/

https://www.parentcircle.com/how-to-teach-children-positive-self-talk/article