Positive Attitude? Negative Attitude?

Our next tip for achieving family harmony is ATTITUDE. Our action word for this one is "Smile." Ask your kids what they think a positive attitude is and then what a negative attitude is. Then talk about how each influences family harmony.

A positive attitude in your family might include being pleasant and agreeable,
talking to one another, no expectations of being pampered, showing appreciation and not taking things for granted. Encouragement and support of family members and a willingness to help also indicate positive attitudes. Add to these, doing what you ask without arguing, like in the last blog, and sharing without complaining, have positive outcomes in families. Basically, in a home where positive attitudes are present each family member is shown love, kindness, and consideration.

Negative attitudes in a family generate grouchiness, fault finding, and selfishness.
Here we hear put downs, members demanding their own way, who are no fun to be with. These members often don't want to spend time with the family, and frankly, they aren't so pleasant to be around anyway. Demonstrations of love and support seem to be in short supply.

Ask your kids to create role-plays in which they are saying the right things to family, but their tone of voice and attitudes are wrong. I'm sure they can come up with some good examples, such as agreeing to take out the trash, but with a poor attitude. Then redo the role-plays after an "attitude adjustment."

I want to stress that having a good attitude doesn't mean denying your feelings.
We can't always wear a happy face. Sometimes feelings of sadness, anger, or upset affect attitude. Don't deny your feelings; discuss them with family. Let all your feelings in a family be real.

Here is a great social skills statement. "A positive attitude is contagious; but don't wait to catch it, be a carrier." Our attitudes influence how others feel.