Week 9: Positive Self-Talk

Hello Families,

Our Inner Voice Matters

Did you know that children have an ongoing conversation in their minds throughout the day? This "inner voice" influences how they feel about themselves, how they approach challenges, and how they cope when things don't go as planned.

Positive self-talk is the ability to speak to ourselves in a kind, encouraging, and realistic way. Learning this skill helps children build confidence, resilience, and emotional wellbeing.

As parents, we can support our children by helping them recognise unhelpful thoughts and replace them with positive and coping thoughts.

Helping Children Notice Thinking Traps

Sometimes children get caught in "thinking traps”. Thinking traps are patterns of thinking that can make situations seem worse than they really are.

Some common thinking traps include:

• All-or-Nothing Thinking: "If I don't get it right, I've failed."

• Catastrophising: "This is the worst thing ever."

• Mind Reading: "Everyone thinks I'm bad at this."

• Negative Filtering: Focusing only on mistakes and ignoring successes.

When children learn to recognise these thinking traps, they can begin to challenge them and develop healthier ways of thinking.

Breaking the Cycle of Negative Thoughts

A helpful strategy is to encourage children to pause and ask themselves:

• Is this thought helpful?

• Is it completely true?

• What evidence do I have?

• What would I say to a friend who felt this way?

• Is there another way to look at the situation?

By questioning unhelpful thoughts, children can replace them with more balanced and encouraging thoughts.

Turning Unhelpful Thoughts into Helpful Thoughts: