Growing Optimism
How parents can supercharge
their child's attitude

"Ultimately, they will make their own choices," adds Dr. Luick. "If those choices are the healthy ones depends on whether or not they have a strong character. Parents can build a strong character and a good positive attitude by instilling self-esteem. Self esteem is the foundation of a positive attitude."

According to Dr. Luick, self-esteem is built by parents who are active in their childs' lives and who practice active discipline.

"I see a lot of families come into my practice, and for most of them, the hardest thing for parents to learn is to be consistent. Children build positive attitudes if they know that the parents are solid and predictable. This means that the child knows what his expectations are and he knows the consequences of what a behavior will be."

Lain, the mother of a toddler knows just how important that consistency can be. She says that she tries to teach her son Benjamin about all the things that he can do instead of focusing on all the things that are forbidden.