Fortunately, panic disorder is one of the most treatable anxiety disorders. The illness can be controlled with medication and focused psychotherapy.

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1 Anxiety Disorders Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in America. More than 19 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, which include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, and generalized anxiety disorder. Because of widespread lack of understanding and the stigma associated with these disorders, many people with anxiety disorders are not diagnosed and are not receiving treatments that have been proven effective through research. Most people experience feelings of anxiety before an important event such as a big exam, business presentation, or first date. Anxiety disorders, however, are illnesses that fill people's lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear that are chronic, unremitting, and can grow progressively worse. Tormented by panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, or countless frightening physical symptoms, some people with anxiety disorders even become housebound. Panic Disorder Panic attacks and panic disorder are actually two separate things. Up to 10 percent of healthy people experience one isolated panic attack per year. Panic attacks also commonly occur to individuals suffering from other anxiety disorders. A panic attack consists of a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort that is associated to several physical and cognitive symptoms. A panic attack can be an experience of increased heart rate and feelings of being sweaty, weak, faint, or dizzy. The hands may tingle or feel numb and be accompanied by flushed or chilled feelings. Panic attacks can cause nausea, chest pain or smothering sensations, a sense of unreality, or fear of impending doom or loss of control. They can genuinely make a person feel as if they are having a heart attack or losing their mind, or on the verge of death. Attacks generally provoke a strong urge to escape or flee the place where the attack begins and, when associated with chest pain or shortness of breath, frequently results in seeking aid from some type of urgent care facility. Attacks have a rapid onset, reaching maximum intensity within 10 to 15 minutes. But the attacks rarely last more than 30 minutes. They can occur at any time including during sleep and in some cases can be associated with specific situations or factors. Specific situations or factors are what can lead a person to develop panic disorder. Panic disorder is diagnosed when a person has experienced at least two unexpected panic attacks and develops persistent concern or worry about having further attacks or changes his or her behavior to avoid or minimize such attacks. A person suffering from panic disorder will slowly restrict his environment to try to protect himself from having future panic attacks. For example, a person who has a panic attack while driving may either avoid driving on that street again or stop driving his car completely. About one-third of people who suffer panic disorder actually develop agoraphobia. This phobia causes people to be afraid of open spaces and/or public places. The individual becomes terrified to leave his home. Panic disorder affects twice as many women as men. The age of onset is most common between late adolescence and mid-adult life, with onset relatively uncommon past age 50. Children who suffer anxiety syndromes, such as separation anxiety, tend to develop into panic disorder if not treated. The earlier the onset of this disorder, the higher the risk of social impairment and chronic attacks. Panic disorder has been shown to have a familial connection. Fortunately, panic disorder is one of the most treatable anxiety disorders. The illness can be controlled with medication and focused psychotherapy. Page 1 of 5

2 Separation Anxiety Disorder Some separation anxiety is normal for infants and toddlers to experience. But separation anxiety is not normal for older children and adolescents. If an older child experiences separation anxiety, the child may be developing separation anxiety disorder. For a separation anxiety to be considered a disorder, it must last at least one month and affect one or more aspects of the child's life. The child can suffer insomnia, dizziness, depression, lack of concentration, nausea, heart palpitations, and may even have nightmares. Separation anxiety causes a child to cling to his parents. The child can actually feel that the parent will be injured, die, or some how removed from the child permanently. This can result in the child shunning school, friends, and any activities that take place outside of the home. The disorder can be over diagnosed in children and adolescents who live in dangerous neighborhoods. The exact cause of separation anxiety disorder is not known. There are some risk factors that have been associated to separation anxiety in children. Children who suffer from this disorder tend to come from close-knit families. The disorder can develop after an illness, move, or death in the family. The disorder may also have a genetic trait similar to panic disorder, but the precise factors have not been isolated. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a combination of two issues that can greatly hinder a person's life. Obsessions are persistent, intrusive thoughts or impulses that are perceived to be inappropriate or forbidden. The obsessions are not like the thoughts that the person normally has and cause the individual a great deal of anxiety. The person's fear lies in the thought that he may lose control and actually act upon his thoughts or impulses. Common themes include contamination with germs, personal doubts, symmetry, or loss of control of sexual or violent impulses. The acts performed to try to get rid of the obsessions are called the compulsions. The compulsions do not give the person pleasure; instead, they are only a tool the person uses to relieve the anxiety caused by the obsessions. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts the person uses to keep the dreaded event from occurring. OCD is equally common in both men and women. OCD typically begins between adolescence and adulthood for men and in young adulthood for women. The severity fluctuates, but behavior tends to worsen as stress in life increases. Obsessive-compulsive disorder has been shown to have a familial pattern. In studies of identical twins, if one twin has OCD, the other twin is more likely to also have OCD than in cases involving fraternal twins. OCD can be treated successfully with medication and personalized psychotherapy. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder There are three different types of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Each type is defined by its individual timeline. Acute PTSD symptoms last less than three months. Chronic PTSD symptoms last for three months or more. Delayed onset PTSD does not produce any symptoms until at least 6 months after the traumatic event occurred. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating condition that develops after a terrifying experience or event. Such extreme traumatic events include rape or other severe physical assault, near-death experiences in accidents, witnessing a murder or violent attack, combat, and even natural disasters. People suffering from PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal. The victim can also suffer sleeping disorders and persistent nightmares. They experience dissociation, which is characterized by a sense of the world as a dreamlike or unreal place and may be accompanied by poor memory of the specific events. In severe form, this dissociation is known as dissociative amnesia. Other symptoms of PTSD include generalized anxiety and hyper arousal; avoidance of situations or stimuli that Page 2 of 5

3 elicit memories of the trauma; and persistent, intrusive recollections of the event via flashbacks, dreams, or recurrent thoughts or visual images. The flashbacks can even include sounds, smells, or feelings of the event, and make the sufferer feel that he is reliving the traumatic event regardless of his surroundings. In the general population, women suffer from PTSD at rates about twice as high as men. When exposed to extreme trauma, about 1 person in 10 will develop some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. About 50 percent of the victims will recover from PTSD within the first six months, but in others the disorder can last much longer. Without treatment PTSD may become chronic and dominate the person's life. Social Anxiety Disorder and Specific Phobias Social phobia (social anxiety disorder) describes people with marked and persistent anxiety in social situations, including performances and public speaking. A person with social phobia has a persistent, intense, and chronic fear of being watched and judged by others, and being embarrassed or humiliated by their own actions. Adults will recognize that their fear is unreasonable, but they experience great discomfort and even dread if they are exposed to such social situations. The external symptoms will appear to others as just anxiety (jittery, sweating, speech problems, etc.), but these do not indicate the terror and internal turmoil the person is going through. The anxiety will actually begin weeks or even months before the social event is to take place. Social phobia can be very debilitating. It may even keep people from going to work or school on some days. Many people with this illness have a hard time making and keeping friends. Once a person develops a social phobia, complete recovery is very unlikely without professional treatment. Specific phobias are characterized by marked fear of specific objects or situations that poses little or no actual danger. Phobias are not just extreme fear, they are irrational fear. Experiencing, viewing an image, or even just thinking about a feared object can cause panic attacks and extreme anxiety. Phobias usually appear during childhood and persist into adulthood. Most people with phobias will tend to avoid any situation that confronts their fear; and for some people, such avoidance can alter their lifestyles, careers, or even be disabling. Women tend to suffer phobias at twice the rate as men, with approximately eight percent of all adults having at least one phobia. While the exact causes of phobias are not known, studies have shown that they are not induced by just one traumatic event. Evidence also suggests that phobias may run in families and are then socially or vicariously learned. Specific phobias are highly treatable with therapy. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is defined by an extended period of anxiety and worry, accompanied by multiple associated symptoms. The period of time must be at least 6 months. Associated symptoms can be fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, insomnia, and dizziness. People afflicted with GAD have problems relaxing and are not able to concentrate. Unlike other types of anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety has no defined focus. The anxiety is the result of worries and fears touching on several aspects of the person's life including work, relationships, finances, family, even the person's own health. Generalized Anxiety Disorder occurs twice as often in women as men, and does seem to have a genetic component. GAD can be treated with medication, but rarely occurs alone. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is usually accompanied by another type of anxiety, drug or alcohol abuse, or depression. Treatment All of the anxiety disorders covered in this module can be successfully treated with current methods. Whether combined or used separately, drug therapy and psychotherapy have been shown to help people dealing with anxiety disorders. No one method works with everybody, so doctors and patients can select specific methods suited to the individual. Prior to beginning a treatment plan, the patient should undergo a thorough diagnostic evaluation. The evaluation should verify the type of anxiety disorder that the patient is suffering from, identify any other disorders the patient has, and determine if there have been any prior treatments for the disorders. Page 3 of 5

4 Psychotherapy Psychotherapy has evolved in the past several decades from merely exploring a person's unconscious thoughts into addressing ways of actually coping with anxieties. These newer therapies emphasize cognitive and behavioral assessment and interventions. The focus of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) evaluate the cause-and-effect relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The therapy gives and works through strategies to lessen symptoms, as well as increasing exposure to the anxiety-provoking situations. With the therapist's guidance, the patient can be shown that the feared situations are not so life-threatening and can develop coping skills. The process gradually increases exposure to a set of stimuli as the patient's coping skills increase and the patient learns how to address the situations. An example of a therapy for panic disorder is teaching a person to recognize the early signs of a panic attack and instructing the person how to use breathing exercises to help remain calm. The effectiveness of CBT depends on how well the patient follows what is learned and how experienced the therapist is at working with the patient's type of disorder. If one approach of CBT does not work for a patient, the odds are that another approach will. The methods will need to be targeted to address the patient's particular set of anxieties. Psychotherapy and drug therapy may be also used together. Drug Therapy Medications alone will not cure an anxiety disorder. Their purpose is to alleviate or control the symptoms associated with a disorder so the sufferer can lead a normal life. This page will give a small overview of the different classes of medications available for treating anxiety disorders. Benzodiazepines - This class of drugs react quickly in the body and are good anti-anxiety medicines. Different drugs in this class work well for treating social phobia, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This class of drugs does not work well for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The drugs cannot eliminate the symptoms of these two disorders. Benzodiazepines can be prescribed at different strengths to allow a longer duration of their effects. Problems associated with benzodiazepines are that they are habit-forming and patients can develop a tolerance to them. Due to the addictive nature of the drugs, they are not recommended for patients with other drug abuse issues. Azipirones - Azipirones are a newer class of anti-anxiety drugs. They work very well at treating GAD but do not function well for treating panic disorders, OCD, or PTSD. Azipirones are less habit-forming than Benzodiazepines but require several weeks of consistent medication to function therapeutically. Possible side effects are dizziness, nausea, and headaches. Antidepressants - Most antidepressant medications have substantial anti-anxiety and anti-panic effects in addition to their antidepressant action. A large number of antidepressants also have anti-obsession effects. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) have been used for a long time as antidepressants and actually helped doctors to differentiate between different types of anxiety disorders. TCAs have side effects such as drowsiness, nausea, weight gain, and dizziness. Due to these effects most doctors now prescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to their patients. SSRIs have been shown effective against all types of anxiety disorders. Their dosage also starts out low and can be increased until the patient's individual level is determined. SSRIs have some possible side effects but these tend to be fewer than TCAs. TCAs are still in use because some patients who do not respond to SSRIs will respond well to TCAs. It is important to note that if a patient is suffering from side effects of their medication, they need to discuss the effects with the doctor. The doctor can try switching the patient to a different medication. Individual patients will respond differently to the various medications available. Beta-blockers - Beta-blockers are used to treat heart conditions but they have also been found to be helpful in treating some forms of anxiety disorder, particularly social phobia. Prior to a patient encountering a known anxious situation, a beta-blocker can be taken to alleviate some of the physical Page 4 of 5

5 symptoms that would occur. Beta-blockers can help prevent the heart from racing, the resulting trembling in the limbs, and other associated affects Arizona Supreme Court. All Rights Reserved. For permission to reprint/republish this article, please Page 5 of 5

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13 Building Resilience in Children By: Healthychildren.org The world can be a frightening place. As a parent, I am constantly aware of choices that I make to minimize my perception of fear and uncertainty. Death, illness, divorce, crime, war, child abductions, tsunamis, and terrorism both here and abroad have defined an evolving landscape for raising our families. How do we manage to parent from a place of love and understanding, not fear and paranoia? It s not possible to protect our children from the ups and downs of life. Raising resilient children, however, is possible and can provide them with the tools they need to respond to the challenges of adolescence and young adulthood and to navigate successfully in adulthood. Despite our best efforts, we cannot prevent adversity and daily stress; but we can learn to be more resilient by changing how we think about challenges and adversities. Today s families, especially our children, are under tremendous stress with the potential to damage both physical health and psychological well-being. The stress comes from families who are always on the go, who are overscheduled with extracurricular activities, and ever-present peer pressure. In the teen years, the anxiety and pressure are related to getting into the college. In today s environment, children and teens need to develop strengths, acquire skills to cope, recover from hardships, and be prepared for future challenges. They need to be resilient in order to succeed in life. That is why Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., MS Ed, FAAP, a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine at The Children s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), has joined forces with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to author A Parent s Guide to Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Your Child Roots and Wings. The new book provides a dynamic resource to help parents and caregivers build resilience in children, teens, and young adults. Dr. Ginsburg has identified seven C s of resilience, recognizing that resilience isn t a simple, one-part entity. Parents can use these guidelines to help their children recognize their abilities and inner resources. Competence Competence describes the feeling of knowing that you can handle a situation effectively. We can help the development of competence by: Helping children focus on individual strengths Focusing any identified mistakes on specific incidents Empowering children to make decisions

14 Being careful that your desire to protect your child doesn t mistakenly send a message that you don t think he or she is competent to handle things Recognizing the competencies of siblings individually and avoiding comparisons Confidence A child s belief in his own abilities is derived from competence. Build confidence by: Focusing on the best in each child so that he or she can see that, as well Clearly expressing the best qualities, such as fairness, integrity, persistence, and kindness Recognizing when he or she has done well Praising honestly about specific achievements; not diffusing praise that may lack authenticity Not pushing the child to take on more than he or she can realistically handle Connection Developing close ties to family and community creates a solid sense of security that helps lead to strong values and prevents alternative destructive paths to love and attention. You can help your child connect with others by: Building a sense of physical safety and emotional security within your home Allowing the expression of all emotions, so that kids will feel comfortable reaching out during difficult times Addressing conflict openly in the family to resolve problems Creating a common area where the family can share time (not necessarily TV time) Fostering healthy relationships that will reinforce positive messages Character Children need to develop a solid set of morals and values to determine right from wrong and to demonstrate a caring attitude toward others. To strengthen your child s character, start by: Demonstrating how behaviors affect others Helping your child recognize himself or herself as a caring person Demonstrating the importance of community Encouraging the development of spirituality Avoiding racist or hateful statements or stereotypes Contribution Children need to realize that the world is a better place because they are in it. Understanding the importance of personal contribution can serve as a source of purpose and motivation. Teach your children how to contribute by:

15 Communicating to children that many people in the world do not have what they need Stressing the importance of serving others by modeling generosity Creating opportunities for each child to contribute in some specific way Coping Learning to cope effectively with stress will help your child be better prepared to overcome life s challenges. Positive coping lessons include: Modeling positive coping strategies on a consistent basis Guiding your child to develop positive and effective coping strategies Realizing that telling him or her to stop the negative behavior will not be effective Understanding that many risky behaviors are attempts to alleviate the stress and pain in kids daily lives Not condemning your child for negative behaviors and, potentially, increasing his or her sense of shame Control Children who realize that they can control the outcomes of their decisions are more likely to realize that they have the ability to bounce back. Your child s understanding that he or she can make a difference further promotes competence and confidence. You can try to empower your child by: Helping your child to understand that life s events are not purely random and that most things that happen are the result of another individual s choices and actions Learning that discipline is about teaching, not punishing or controlling; using discipline to help your child to understand that his actions produce certain consequences Dr. Ginsburg summarizes what we know for sure about the development of resilience in kids by the following: Children need to know that there is an adult in their life who believes in them and loves them unconditionally. Kids will live up or down to our expectations. There is no simple answer to guarantee resilience in every situation. But we can challenge ourselves to help our children develop the ability to negotiate their own challenges and to be more resilient, more capable, and happier. Overview of Stress There will always be stress in our lives. Stress is an important tool that can aid in our survival.

16 Our body s reaction to stress is mediated through a complex interplay of sensory input sights and sounds as well as the brain and nervous system, hormones, and the body s cells and organs. Emotions play an important role in how we experience stress because the brain is the conductor of this system. The way we think about stress and what we choose to do about it can affect the impact of a stressful event. This article was featured in Healthy Children Magazine. Last Updated 11/21/2015 Source Healthy Children Magazine, Winter 2007

17 Helping Children Cope with a Disaster or Traumatic Event Children base their reactions in part on what they see from the adults around them. When parents and caregivers deal with a disaster calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for their children. The better prepared parents are, the more reassuring they are to others around them, especially children. Self care and preparation are critical for parents and caregivers. The more prepared, rested, and relaxed they are, the better they can respond to unexpected events and the more they can make decisions that will be in the best interest of those for whom they are responsible. Children's reactions depend on their age and are affected by how close they are to an event, their level of exposure to it through TV, and how they see their parents and caregivers reacting. Seeing repeated images of a disaster in the media can intensify people's distress. Early on, consider limiting the amount of exposure you want for yourself and your loved ones. What you can do to help others cope with disaster Now: Get informed; develop a family disaster plan; assemble disaster supplies kits; talk about your actions; think about how to handle stress; ask questions about things you don't understand; practice your plans; identify support networks in your community. At the start of a disaster: Listen to the authorities; show understanding; share facts with children; share plans to keep them safe. During a disaster: Calm fears that someone will be killed or injured; calm fears that children will be left alone or separated from their family; stay as connected as possible with kids and with others, as it provides care, support, and distraction. After a disaster: Calm fears that it will happen again. Common Reactions In most children, these common reactions will fade over time. Children who were directly exposed to a disaster can become upset again; behavior related to the event may return if they see or hear

18 reminders of what happened. If children continue to be very upset, if their reactions hurt their schoolwork or relationships, then parent may want to talk to a professional or have their children to talk to a provider who specializes in children's needs. For infants to 6 year olds Infants may become more cranky. They may cry more than usual or want to be held and cuddled more. Preschool and kindergarten children may feel helpless, powerless and frightened about being separated from their parent/caregiver. They may return to bed-wetting and have a hard time sleeping. For 7 to 10 year olds Older children who know about loss may feel sad, mad or afraid the event will happen again. Peers may share false information that parents or caregivers then would need to correct. They may focus on details of the event and want to talk about it all the time. This may disrupt their concentration and affect how well they do in school. For preteens and teenagers Some preteens and teenagers respond with risky behaviors. This could include reckless driving, alcohol or drug use. Others may become afraid to leave home. They may cut way back on how much they hang out with their friends. They can feel overwhelmed by their intense emotions and yet be unable to talk about them. Those emotions may lead to increased friction, arguing and even fighting with siblings, parents/caregivers or other adults. For special-needs children Children who are ventilator-dependent, or are confined to a wheelchair or bed, may have even more pronounced reactions to threatened or actual terrorism. The same is true for youth with other physical or mental limitations. They might display feelings like distress, worry or anger because they have less control over how they get around than other people. They may need extra verbal reassurance, or more explanations, hugs, comfort and other positive physical contact. Not all children respond these ways. Some might have more severe, longer-lasting reactions that are influenced by the following factors: Direct exposure to the disaster: whether they were evacuated or saw people injured or dying would affect them, as would being injured themselves or feeling their own lives were threatened.

19 Loss: the death or major injury of a family member, close friend or pet. Ongoing stress from the effects of disaster: this includes being away from home, losing contact with friends and neighbors and losing things that were important to them, like a favorite toy or access to a playground. Their lives are disrupted when they no longer have a usual meeting place or their routines and living conditions change. A prior experience of trauma: including having lived through or observed abuse or a major disaster. Online resources For more information about how to cope with a disaster, visit the following: American Red Cross Recovering After a Disaster or Emergency Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster Technical Assistance Center National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Coping with Traumatic Events National Child Traumatic Stress Network This information is provided by the American Red Cross and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

20 10 Ways to Help Kids Think Positive By: Helping kids understand the effect of their thoughts, words, actions (and reactions) is essential in building a foundation for their future wellness. When kids learn how to think positive from a young age, they will have a much greater chance of leading happy, healthy, and successful lives as adults. There are many effective ways to help guide children down a great path in life, but it s up to us, the adults in their lives to get them started in the best direction possible. 1. Be a great role model. Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression. Haim Ginott If you want children to think positive, it s important to be an exemplary role model. When you have a child, being conscious of your thoughts becomes a clear goal as you see them begin to mimic your moods, speech, and actions toward others. Find a positive perspective in your experiences, and explain why the choice you made is important. Adults know that the world isn t all sunshine and rainbows, but children can forget this awareness at their age. Be someone they can learn from through both success and failure. 2. Help them feel comfortable with their emotions. The aged assumption that boys should not cry, and girls should always be dainty can hinder a child s creativity and ability to tap into their wellspring of love for themselves and others. Fostering emotional wellbeing among children has actually been shown to avoid mental illness later in life, along with many other health and social benefits. Teach your child how to laugh, cry, and express their joy, and that it s ok to do so. Let them live in an environment where they feel safe enough to communicate what they re feeling, and what they want in life. 3. Teach them the law of attraction. The law of attraction simply states that you will eventually receive the opportunity, in some form, to achieve that which is in alignment with your most dominant thoughts. If children understand this concept, they can learn to focus on achieving everything from potty training to becoming President. Teach your children to think well of themselves, as they are now. Teach them to be kind and compassionate toward others. Also, have your child repeat positive affirmations in the mirror with you every day. Phrases like I am creative, I am strong, I am a good friend, and I make a difference in the world plants the seeds of positivity in their hearts, and impacts their lives in a tremendous way. Nothing can stop your child from achieving greatness when they make positive thinking their habit. Watch young Jessica as she expresses her inner confidence in this Youtube video:

21 4. Be a motivator and encourager. Help your child believe that they can be their best. Encourage them to follow their dreams and to believe that they can achieve great things in life. Even if your child fails at something, motivate them to pick themselves up and carry on teach them that in every outcome, there is always a silver lining. If your child was expecting to win first place at the science fair but didn t, acknowledge their feelings. Talk about the cool projects, and how they can be inspired for their next project. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is say that you tried your best, look forward, and that another opportunity will be on the way. 5. Teach them how to focus on solutions. Followers talk about problems. Leaders talk about solutions. Problem solving is a critical skill kids need to gain confidence, continue thinking positive, and excel in life. Help them learn about the problem and what created it, then how to move past it and focus on a solution. Moving into the solution zone as quickly as possible will encourage them to always think positive, and be confident that answers are always out there. 6. Allow them the freedom to do what they love. To flourish in their own unique way, children need some freedom to do what they love. Guide children to safely find their purpose and passion. Create a learning environment from what excites them in life. Everything has a lesson, and it s up to us to provide that lesson in the most engaging way to maximize a child s learning. 7. Surround them with positive people. Surround children with a positive, uplifting environment. Explain to them that they are a product of the people they spend the most time with, and to try to associate with other people who also think positive. From this fertile positive environment, they can move forward in helping others think positive as well. 8. Encourage strong morals and values. Children can grow up to be strong, positive leaders if cornerstone positive morals and values are built from a young age. Knowing what s right and wrong when interacting with friends, holding them accountable for their mistakes, and teaching them to follow through with commitments are all core principles of practicing positivity. To help them understand easily, talk about your own life experiences such as returning someone s wallet or intentionally making friends with the new kid at school to welcome them. 9. Ask them about the positive events of their day.

22 Instead of just asking how their day went, ask them about the positive things that happened during their day. These specific questions help them focus on their achievements rather than disappointments. When children stay focused on thinking positive, their positive experiences will only continue to grow. 10. Create a literacy-rich environment. Support literacy starting from an early age. It takes them to places they can embrace their own powers. A child that often reads is enriched with the power to strategize and solve problems. Give them library cards, provide puzzles, read a variety of books, play bingo, scrabble, and introduce books on the computer. There are even programs like Reading Kingdom that allows them to play online as they learn to read.