11/10/2026
Thoughts aren't facts. They're interpretations, and sometimes we get it wrong. Children too.
We can practice questioning our thoughts, and finding new, kinder ways of talking to ourselves; a brand new story to tell. It takes practice, so let's start young.
A more balanced thought doesn't need to feel 100% true yet - it just needs to feel possible.
Practising it helps the original thought feel less like a fact, and more like just one thought among many. That small shift is where we can overcome negative thinking and worry and feel more confident and calm.
How do I help my child learn to think in less negative and more balanced ways?
Try asking it as a hypothetical first: "Imagine a friend, or someone you know, had this thought: [the unhelpful thought in the reel]. What would you say to them?"
Children are often much kinder and more balanced with a friend than they are with themselves, so their answer is often close to the balanced thought already.
Then ask: "What could they think instead, that might help them feel a bit better?"
If they get stuck, offer the new thought I've shown here, as an option rather than a correction: "Some people in that situation find it helps to think [the balanced thought]. Want do you think?"
This works well because starting hypothetically (someone else's thought, not "your" thought) gives a child a bit of distance before it gets personal, which often makes it easier for them to think clearly rather than feel got at.
There's no pressure for it to feel true straight away. Just saying it, or hearing it, starts to create a small shift. It plants a new seed for a new emotional skill 🌱
Tell a new story 🌟
