The Huffington Post – Michelle McQuaid
“When it comes to parenting your kids do you spend most of your time pointing out what they’re doing wrong or what they’re doing right? If you’re like most time poor parents the chances are you’re quicker at identifying the things your kids need to improve upon, but is this the best way to raise kids who are resilient and able to cope with stress? “Strength-based parenting is an approach where parents deliberately identify and cultivate positive states, processes and qualities in their children,” explained Professor Lea Waters from Melbourne University…”By knowing and developing a child’s skills, my research has found children are able to react positively to stress and minimize the likelihood that they will resort to avoidance or aggressive coping responses.”…While that may all sound like common sense, Professor Waters pointed out that because our brains are wired with a negativity bias making us more likely to see what’s going wrong, before we see what’s going right, that like any new skill looking for the strengths in our children initially requires some deliberate practice.”(more)