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Raising Children Topics..

You are here : home > Raising Children > Related Articles for Raising Children > Are You Raising A Happy Child?

Are You Raising A Happy Child?

Are You Raising A Happy Child?

Happiness is the road to a healthy life. A happy child is a healthy child with oodles of confidence and sense of security. Children today are stressed out. Parents have a responsibility to keep their child happy. Here are some tips on raising happy children.

Happiness is the key to balanced behaviour and self-confidence in children. For parents, happiness is also about well being, health, and the sense of security children derive from being part of the family.
This article is not about how to keep your children happy; it's about how you can contribute to creating the right conditions in which your children will flourish and confidently assume their place in the world.

You can look for these top ten indicators of a happy child:
  1. Curiosity
  2. Laughter
  3. Independence
  4. Persistence in problem-solving
  5. Patience
  6. Good health
  7. Sociability
  8. Confidence in self expression
  9. Spontaneity
  10. Open mindedness about new experiences

Tips on raising happy children

Live and let laugh

Kids need to enjoy their childhood; so refrain from planning out every minute of their day. Let them have their own time to spend as they like. However, set limits and then leave them free to do their own thing within those limits. Children will then learn to take responsibility for their own behaviour.

R&R

That means Rest and Relaxation for your kids. Restless children often exhaust themselves to sleep and are unable to focus on any single activity. This can hamper their development. Take an afternoon nap with your child or read out from his favourite book to help him relax and wind down.

Happy not perfect!

Do not confuse happiness with perfection. This will only bring feelings of anxiety in your child and disappointment to you. He may not always get good grades and she may not always clean her room when told to. There is no need to expect children to be obedient angels.

Serve a good diet

Make sure your growing children get their vital portions of vitamins and proteins in their diet. Incorrect dietary habits and poor nutrition can lead to exhaustion and passive behaviour in children. It's ok to give in to their junk food demands occasionally. Let them order a pizza or two on the weekends but make sure that when it comes to proper nutrition, there is no substitute for ghar ka khaana (home cooked food).

Encourage creativity

One way to do this is to expose them to a diverse range of cultural experiences. Make sure they know the difference between jazz and classical music. Give them music lessons if they show an inclination towards enjoying music. Take them out to the latest animated films. Talk to them about the story, what they learnt or enjoyed the most.

Listen to their hearts

When a child asks for something (a toy, a sweet, etc.) in a stubborn and impolite manner, this is probably because he is unhappy with his situation. This is really the time to intervene and find out what is really wrong. Simply satisfying immediate demands will only aggravate this kind of behaviour in the long run.

Stress on independence

Minimise dependence. Let your children handle their own problems as far as possible. This will encourage confident behaviour and communicate a clear sense of responsibility to your children. Independent children are more likely to adapt to new circumstances and people and master unfamiliar situations by themselves.

The great outdoors

Curiosity and openness cannot be fostered only in classrooms. Taking your children out to museums, aquariums, and parks for picnics is a vital part of their education. There are many things they can touch, use, and ask questions about under your supervision. Make this a regular feature in their lives-something they can look forward to on weekends. Encourage them to join their class on field trips going outside the city.

Manners and discipline

Rules about manners and discipline need to be consistent and clear. Contradictory demands will only confuse your children and keep them constantly insecure about their capacities. Let them take charge of the rules. This will give them a sense of right and wrong when going about their daily activities.

Happy Parents Make Happy Kids

It is important that you yourself have mastered the skill of being happy. Children learn by example. If you are happy yourself, you would create the right kind of ambience for your children to pick up the skill.

To be happy yourself, you would need to make yourself a priority. Take breaks for yourself. Find time for friendships. Set time aside to strengthen your bond with your spouse. Schedule some time together away from the kids. Make it happen. If a long night out isn't possible, at least try for a regular hour here and there.

Don't give up

Inspire your children to dream their dreams, no matter how big they may seem. Teach them not to give up on their problems: whether it is a difficult mathematical equation or a sports endeavour that seems impossible to win. Let them learn to enjoy the pursuit. Don't discourage their peculiarities and interests. Allow their personalities to flourish fully.





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Victor
Victor.12 years ago
very good article. Happiness is a way of mind. You have to find happiness in small things in life and not go searching for it. The more you search, the more it will allude you.
 
 
 
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Rachita
Rachita.12 years ago
I have tried to keep my kids away from these gadgets so that they enjoy life and nature. But my effort seems to be futile as they are influenced by their friends and wants the same things.
 
 
 
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Yasmin
Yasmin.12 years ago
Kids today are into computers and television and they do not know the real meaning of life and how to enjoy it. For them electronic gadgets give happiness. they live in an artificial world.
 
 
 
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