4Real Forums: Teaching cheerfulness

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Topic: Teaching cheerfulness

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SherryCurp
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Joined: Feb 17 2005
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Posted: Oct 09 2006 at 10:18am \| IP Logged

Our 6yo dd has developed something of a complaining habit, and we want to counter it with training in cheerfulness. (Telling her "stop complaining" just isn't working!)

I'm not sure how to explain the virtue to her in a way that she can understand.

Of course, I also need to work on the virtue myself, as crabbiness is also contagious.

Suggestions, please!

Sherry

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"The fundamental objective of the formation of the lay faithful is an ever-clearer discovery of one's vocation and the ever-greater willingness to live it so as to fulfil one's mission." -JPII

kingvozzo
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Posted: Oct 09 2006 at 11:31am \| IP Logged

I can't wait to hear others' thoughts. My dd, 5, has always had a bit of a cantankerous temperament, and we're really trying to steer her away from being a tyrant.

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Noreen
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JodieLyn
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Posted: Oct 09 2006 at 12:05pm \| IP Logged

I think one of the easiest ways to help children figure out how they "look" to others is to "pretend" the emotions with them. For one thing, nothing helps being cheerful like something that can give you the giggles.

So exaggerate.. "do you want to be around someone like ..." and do an exaggerated grumpy.. or "do you want to be around someone like.. " give your best impression of Cinderella (or Snow White) here.

And I'm more concerned with willingness than cheerfulness in some things.. you tell me there's another job I have to do before I can do something fun, I'm not likely to be terribly cheerful. But a willingness to do it vs the grumpy dragging feet thing, is what we go for.. and again.. you can act this out.. "I don't want to see.." what child did.. "what I want to see is.." reasonable response given being disappointed.

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Jodie, wife to Dave
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saintanneshs
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Posted: Oct 09 2006 at 1:36pm \| IP Logged

How about some good books that illustrate your point (like Jodie said, using exaggeration). For example, the Catholic Treasure Box books are full of cute stories and poems about children modeling the wrong behavior and a message about what behavior SHOULD be (I especially love the ones on the back covers). Last week we used the part of the Saint Therese story where her father calls her a spoiled something-or-other and then Therese makes up her mind NOT to cry about silly things anymore as a "lesson" for our 5yo (who tends to be fussy and cry about things a lot). It was very helpful for him to listen to that story (and it didn't hurt that we made sacrifice beads after for him to practice Therese's kind of self-control).

I can't think of any now (aside from the Treasure Box series) specifically for cheerfulness, but I'm sure there must be lots of great picture books out there to illustrate it!

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Kristine

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Posted: Oct 09 2006 at 6:54pm \| IP Logged

We fry the crabbies at our house and chase them out the door (with 4yo crowd) but it has become an inside joke when any of us get really bad. (Many of us - mostly me, have to work really hard on this one). Sometimes we talk about eating crabbies for lunch. I guess breaking the mood with a bit of humor helps.

Janet

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