When you ask parents what they want most for their children, what is the response that you typically get the majority of the time? They are content in raising happy kids. Adults place a higher priority on making sure their children are content than they do on almost any other issue, including healthcare, the welfare of the elderly, the expense of living, terrorism, and the conflict in Iraq. More than two-thirds of adults report that they are “very worried” about the welfare of children. This worry is shared by people of all genders, economic levels, ethnicities, ages, and political affiliations.
There is a wealth of information available on how to bring up intelligent and successful children, but the question remains: how can one bring up happy children? It may be challenging to strike a balance between doing what is best for children and ensuring that they are happy with their lives, but these two goals need not be incompatible with one another. Children who report higher levels of happiness are more likely to grow up to be happy and accomplished adults.
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Importance of Raising Happy Kids
Children go through stages of both physical and mental growth as they mature. Children who are happy are more likely to grow into adults who are healthy, well-adjusted, and successful. On the other side, adverse childhood experiences have been linked to negative impacts on adult health. A childhood that is characterized by unhappy feelings often leads to poor mental health as an adult.
Growing up with happy early life experiences has many profits, including improved physical and mental health, fewer behavioral issues, higher academic performance, increased creativity, improved problem-solving skills, increased social skills, increased self-esteem, increased resilience, improved health in adulthood, and increased life satisfaction.
According to scientific research, both of these things have a constructive impact on the lives of youngsters. Good genes may put a youngster in a better position to enjoy family life, but parenting and early environment may also determine how a child ends out. It’s not a case of either/or; rather, it’s about how the two of them connect with one another. There is no way to alter DNA (yet). However, years of groundbreaking study have shown various distinct approaches that may be used to bring up children in a healthy and happy manner.
1. Being Happy Yourself for Raising Happy Kids
Ironically, the first step toward happier children is to focus more on one’s own happiness. Extensive research has shown a significant connection between depressed moms and “negative outcomes” in their children, such as acting out and other behavioral issues. These “negative outcomes” may be traced back to the mother’s depression. It seems that parental sadness contributes to the development of behavioral issues in children, and it also makes us less successful as parents.
Because laughing is infectious, you should surround yourself with others who are likely to be laughing, too, such as close friends or family members. The sound of their laughter will make you chuckle as well, but it is not necessary for it to do so in order to improve your mood. Neuroscientists think that when people hear the laughter of another person, it activates mirror neurons in a particular area of the brain, giving listeners the impression that they are really laughing themselves.
2. Strong Relationships
There isn’t anybody who would argue that learning about relationships isn’t vital; the question is, how many parents truly take the time to educate their children on how to interact with one another? It does not need a lot of effort. It might begin with encouraging children to engage in tiny acts of kindness as a means of developing empathy in themselves and others. The results of this study suggest that this not only teaches your children important life skills and makes them better individuals, but it also makes them happier in the long run.
3. Fewer Expectations for Raising Happy Kids
When compared to children raised by other parents, those whose parents place an excessive amount of emphasis on academic success are more likely to suffer from high levels of clinical depression, anxiety, and drug misuse. Children are motivated to continue putting in the effort and labor that leads to success when they are praised for having done so. They are not sidetracked from work at hand of gaining knowledge by concerns over how intelligent they may — or may not — seem to others.
Being Optimistic
Do you want to avoid having to deal with a grumpy teenager? Then you must instruct those preteens to see the positive side of things. When they reach puberty, children of ten years old who have been instructed to think positively and perceive the environment in a constructive manner are less likely to suffer from clinical depression. Optimists are less likely to struggle with mental health issues like depression and anxiety, as well as being more successful in school, at work, and in sports. They also tend to live longer, be healthier, and have more fulfilling relationships.
Emotional Wellness
Emotional intelligence is not an innate quality but rather a learned talent. The idea that children would “naturally” learn to grasp their own feelings, much alone the feelings of others, does not set them up for success as individuals or as a group. When someone is having trouble coping with rage or irritation, a straightforward first step is to “Empathize, Label, and Validate” their feelings.
Maintaining Joyful and Healthy Routines
It is hard to think through these procedures, but once habits have been developed, behaving routinely is simple and straightforward. Put an end to interruptions and avoid giving in to temptations. Create objectives with the end purpose of increasing both social support and social pressure. In addition, having an overwhelming number of objectives is detrimental to one’s willpower, particularly in children. First perfect one routine, then go on to the next. Last but not least, remind yourself not to expect perfection right away. It takes time. There is a chance of relapse. That is to be expected. Continue to reinforce.
Self-Discipline
When it comes to predicting a child’s level of future achievement, self-discipline is a better indicator than intellect or really just about anything else. It seems like we’ll be doing the infamous marshmallow test once again. Those children who were better able to resist temptation as adolescents went on to have considerably more successful and happy lives as adults.
It is possible to predict a child’s future IQ, academic achievement. And social skills based on their ability to postpone gratification in preschool. For example, waiting for a second marshmallow. This is at least partially due to the fact that having self-discipline makes it easier to learn new things. And digest information. In addition, children who have developed their own sense of self-discipline are more resilient. It is in the face of frustration and stress, and they generally have a stronger sense of social duty. In other words, exercising self-control leads not just to academic achievement and behaving politely at the dinner table but also to an increase in pleasure, the number of friends one has, and involvement in their community.
How should one go about beginning the process of teaching self-discipline? Assist children in developing the ability to divert their attention away from tempting situations. One method is to conceal the temptation. For example, physically covering up the marshmallow that you know would entice you. In one research, three-fourth of children were able to wait the whole fifteen minutes for the second marshmallow. It is when the reward was hidden from view. On the other hand, none of the children were able to wait as long when the reward was in plain sight.
Leisure
These days, there is a lot of literature published on mindfulness and meditation, and both of these practices are highly effective. However, maintaining a consistent routine for these activities among children may be rather difficult. What is it that works nearly as well?
When they play outdoors or with toys, the majority of children already engage in a kind of mindfulness, which entails completely appreciating the moment that they are in. However, today’s children spend less time playing both indoors and outside. Children have lost an average of eight hours of free, unstructured, and spontaneous play time each week over the progression of the last two decades. The purpose of playtime is more than merely to waste time. It’s very necessary for fostering children’s development and education.
Researchers think that the huge decrease in children’s access to unstructured playtime is partially to blame for the slowed development of children’s cognitive and emotional abilities. Child-initiated, unstructured play (whether with or without the presence of adults) was shown to increase children’s intellectual, physical, social, and emotional well-being. This was in addition to its ability to assist children in learning how to self-regulate. Children get the ability to cooperate cooperatively in groups. Also, to share, to negotiate, to settle problems, to manage their emotions and conduct. And to advocate for themselves through participating in unstructured play. There is no need for detailed instructions at this time. Set aside extra time in your schedule for your children to just go outdoors and play.
No Artificial Methods
We don’t want to acknowledge it, but our surroundings have a significant impact on each of us — often more than we are aware of at the time. Your efforts will be limited by time and effort. However, the context is something that continually influences both adults and children. How can you exert more influence on the environment in which your kid lives while also maximizing the effectiveness of your attempts to make them happy?
According to a large body of research, one of the strongest predictors of happiness is the absence of television viewing. Sociologists have found that individuals who are happy have a tendency. It is to watch a lot less television compared to persons who are sad. We do not know if watching television causes individuals be sad. Or whether those who are already unhappy watch more television. However, we are aware that there are a wide variety of pursuits that might facilitate the growth. It is of our children into contented, well-adjusted persons. If our children sit in front of the television, they are not engaging in activities that have the probable to make them happy in the long term.
Together Time
There are times when all that modern science does is confirm what our parents and grandparents already understood. There is value in having supper with the family. This straightforward custom helps shape better adults and also makes children happy in the process.
According to many studies, children who have a routine of eating supper with their family have more emotional resilience and a lower propensity to misuse substances like alcohol and drugs. They achieved higher marks overall. They tend to exhibit fewer signs of depression, especially among adolescents who are female. In addition to this, they have a lower risk of developing obesity as well as a variety of eating disorders. When it comes to preparing your children for school, having supper together as a family is even more beneficial than reading to them. These correlations remain even after the researchers accounted for the fact that family members were involved.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is extremely vital to raise happy kids. It is just because of the reasons that are given above. Raising happy kids not only makes them independent. Also, they can excel in their academic as well as extracurricular activities in life. They become adroit in what they do, and most of them have clarity in what they want to achieve in life.
These were some of the traits of happy kids. Therefore, it should be the responsibility of every parent out there to raise happy kids so that they give more to the society in which they currently live in! As a result, doing the greater good in life is making the world a better place to live in! So, what are you waiting for? Incorporate these in your life and see your child being happy all the time.
