I was brought up on a principle my mother instilled in me, namely, "If you can't say something nice about a person, then do not say anything at all." In other words, refrain from negativism.
The advice of my mother found itself the bedrock of my first principle to reduce stress: POSITIVITY. I now think of it whenever something negative pops into my head or if I am about to say something that can be interpreted in a negative way. I immediately ask myself, "How can I say that in positive way?"
In building and improving relationships, its opposite—negativity—is the biggest enemy. You do not want it in your mind. You do not want it in your house. You do not want it in your environment. You do not want to express negativity to your associates, to those who may work for you, or to your friends. You do not want anything to do with it. When you see it, turn it around. If you can not turn it around, then you turn around and walk the other way.
How to be positive is at parenting without stress.