For so many parents, the goal is about making your child happy. And while partly it is about making sure that your children are happy in those small moments, the art of long-lasting happiness is not as straightforward.
It is not necessarily just looking to calm anxiety when you see it, but it is about making sure that their emotional health is well balanced. So let’s show you some approaches to help set your child up for a happy life.
Allow them to explore
We feel overprotective on occasion. And this means that when our children want to go exploring, we shoot down any request because we think it is too dangerous.
It is important to gauge the situation on its own merit because there will be times when your children will learn important lessons.
Whether it is about exploring something and deciding if it makes them happy or not, or even something simpler, such as when running around all learning to walk properly.
And the fact of the matter is that if you feel that your child will hurt themselves because they are walking, this doesn’t set them up for a happy and open approach to life.
As hard as it can be for you, you need to allow them to explore. And even if they scrape their knee in the process, there are always wound dressing or plasters around.
Teach your child the right mental habits
Happiness is about practising it.
Naturally, your child will want to do things that they like, and this means not shooting them down every time they want to do something, but also making sure that if they don’t feel happy, giving them constructive habits that can improve their mood will benefit.
Depending on the age of your child, you may want to help them practice gratitude or appreciation. But it is important for you to show your child how to do these things, and actually do them yourself.
In addition, little habits such as exercise can help but also making sure that fun is a priority in your lives.
Fun is partly about wanting to explore, but it is also about making sure that when things are not too happy in life, giving your child the opportunities to express themselves so they are happier is crucial. But this is, again, making sure that we don’t stifle them.
Help your child manage their mood
A bad mood can creep upon us, and if your child doesn’t know how to manage their mood, you can help them to understand how they are feeling by noticing any negative thoughts.
You will know this if they’re not happy, but it is not about trying to fix the issue, but it is about making sure that they know how to fix it themselves.
When our children are surrounded by stress, especially in the current climate, we have to be aware that this could set them up for a stressful life. It is about making sure that they know that happiness is their own choice.
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