The world can be a dark place for anyone, and at times, it feels quite challenging to raise happy children in spite of everything going on around them. Many parents worry about whether their children are growing up happy, and in response to this worry, they look for ways they can help.
If you want to raise happy, healthy children, take a look at the tips below.
Ease Up on Your Expectations
Wanting your child to succeed is understandable, but it’s important for you as a parent to value effort over success. Your child is not going to be exceptional at everything and that’s okay. Children struggle to be happy when they feel unsurmountable pressure on their shoulders, so let them know that you’re proud of them for trying even if they don’t achieve perfection.
Don’t Push Material Significance
Occasionally gifting your child with a new toy, outfit, or electronic device is great, but supplying them with everything they want is not a healthy way to approach happiness. Very few people find true happiness in material items, and constantly getting new things is a distraction at best.
To teach your children how to become happier people, avoid over-indulging them with material items in an attempt to make them happy. It’s certainly okay to give them things, but don’t let material possessions replace your attention and involvement in their lives.
Let Them Self-Regulate
As parents, we often feel the need to come to the rescue when our children struggle. It’s normal to want to protect them, but solving all of their problems for them isn’t reasonable. One day, your child will be on their own and they’ll need to depend on themselves. To raise secure, happy children, it’s important to step back and let them self-regulate sometimes. Step in when you need to, but avoid micromanaging their lives.
Teach Optimism and Emotional Intelligence
Encourage your children to think positively and help them to work through the emotions they experience (positive and negative). Talk to them about how they’re feeling in regard to what’s happening in their world, and welcome open discussions. Helping your child understand what they’re feeling and why it’s happening can be very beneficial when it comes to overcoming negativity and regulating their responses to sudden emotional difficulties.
Empathize with your child and validate their feelings. Your care and guidance will help them realize they’re perfectly normal young people who are capable of growing and learning as many others have.
Additionally, letting your children know you’re there to help will remind them that support is available when they can’t overcome their feelings alone.
