A Guide How to Maintain a Positive Mindset for Kindergarten

Imagine and analyze this situation: As a cheerful boy walks past a store, he sees a cool water bottle on sale in the window. The water bottle is covered in the artwork of his favorite superhero character. It’s such a big water bottle that the boy thinks he will never run out of water wherever he goes. In his mind, the boy imagines a dreamy picture: he will always stay hydrated, and his friends will think it’s cool. Carrying all his savings, the boy goes inside the store and buys the water bottle.

What drove the boy to act and purchase the item? It was his thoughts! His reasoning that the water bottle would be a great investment justified and drove his actions.

Thoughts play a crucial role in shaping actions and behaviors. They serve as the foundation upon which the behavior process is built. Therefore, it is essential to develop a strong sense of control over one’s thoughts to ensure that one consistently presents their best behavior in various situations. This kindergarten lesson focuses on teaching students the valuable skill of thought management, enabling them to maintain a positive mindset and consistently put their best foot forward.

An insightful class discussion opens this lesson, shedding light on the harmful impact of negative thinking on self-concept and well-being. Kindergarten students understand that negative thoughts can instill doubt and lower their self-esteem. However, thought patterns are not fixed, and they can be consciously managed and transformed. To help students better understand, a helpful SEL activity follows.

In the activity, kindergartners practice reframing their negative thoughts into positive ones, by stating the opposite of given negative statements. For example, they need to turn the statement, "I don’t like this food," into, “I do like this food.” The goal here is to foster a more optimistic and resilient mindset.

Following this simple activity is another discussion that underlines the main takeaway of the exercise. Here, the teacher explains that changing the way they think about things can help them see a situation in a more positive light. However, thinking positively is not always easy, especially when one feels differently. During these times, kindergarten students learn that they can still manage their thoughts accordingly.

Instead of convincing the mind that things are good when they are not, students can still think to try to resolve their problems. For example, when a game is not fun, they can still think, "I will try it." To help them practice, another activity follows. It is similar to the first one, but with this, students can think they can try.

As kindergartners grow, they will encounter challenging and overwhelming situations. These moments can make their problems appear insurmountable. However, by cultivating a powerful and positive mindset through thought management, they can develop the resilience and determination to conquer any challenge they face.

With this lesson, kindergartners develop thought management which equips them with the tools to overcome self-doubt and negative thinking patterns. They learn to recognize unhelpful thoughts and replace them with positive and empowering ones. This process enables them to persevere through difficulties and approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset.