You’re having a good day. Your child comes home from school and whines about the bad day they had. Then your spouse comes home from work and complains about the day they had at work. Everyone is in a bad mood, and pretty soon so are you. Does this sound like a situation you have quite often?

It happens a lot for most people. The problem is that this type of situation can escalate and the negative vibes start spreading to others around you until you manage to have pushed them all away. It doesn’t make for a very good relationship all around.

The good news to this is that it can be changed. You can stop those negative vibes from taking control of your lives and start living the way you should. In a more positive manner. Here are some ways you can take back control:

Set up a money jug- Every time someone says something negative, they have to contribute a set amount of money, like a nickel, to the jar each time. To help everyone be more willing to participate; set it up as a contest. Have the person who has the least amount of money in their jar; win the amount in the other jars.

Keep a chart- If you don’t want to use money, then you can try using a chart. Use the same contest idea and figure out what the reward will be for having a better attitude. You could even award bonus points if they are positive despite something disappointing happening, like failing a test at school.

Giving Thanks- This is not just something that people do at Thanksgiving. It’s something that can be done year around. You could set up some family time every week and have everyone say what they are thankful for. By being thankful more often, you’re instilling a positive environment to live in.

A praise board- Set up a bulletin board in a place where everyone will see it. Give each family member a section of it, or maybe even use small, separate ones for each person. You can have people tack up notes on each other’s boards or section of the main board; expressing something positive about them. When their boards are full, the notes can be put away for later when they’re having a bad day and need a pick me up.

It will take time for everyone to adjust to this new idea, but by just making a few changes, the household’s mood can change for the better. The little things can really mean a lot. Once your family starts being more positive with each other, take it a step further and share your good mood with your family and friends.