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Childhood is a vital phase of growth that lays the foundation for the psychological well-being of humans, and one of the factors that strengthen children's psychological wellness is their state of happiness. Happy children are the healthy ones that grow into happy adults who, in turn, add positively to society and make their parents happy.
What Really Brings Happiness To Children?
You might have pondered on what precisely brings happiness to children. Is it the ice cream, the new set of toys, time out with friends, birthday parties, or the constant visits to the amusement park? Even though these things bring instant smiles to children's faces, it is unlikely that they will make them happy every day or grow into happy adults.
As a parent, you might have taken some actions to make your children happy, but the results are unsatisfactory and make it seem like you have not done enough toward their happiness. This is relatable, but it is not your fault. Individual human nature is different; what makes Dick happy may not make Harry happy. No happiness formula works for every child.
Every parent wants their children to be fulfilled and happy, regardless of their status, nation, or culture. We strive to develop them into balanced, healthy, and responsible adults, but we can not control other people's happiness. We cannot decide when and what makes our children happy. These inabilities prompt the question of whose responsibility it is to make our children happy.
Do you know that children will create their happiness?
You can only put things in place and set up an environment and activities that will make it easier for your children to grow the joy they have found.
Attributes Of A Happy Child
To know what to do to enhance your children's happiness, you must first discover if your child is happy. There are characteristics of happy children that you should take note of. They will let you know if you are growing a happy child and prompt you to help them improve.
Here are some signs to tell that your child is happy:
- They have a good connection with you and other people.
- They are comfortable expressing their emotions.
- They are very active and creative.
- They are very helpful.
- They are willing to share.
- They are not arrogant.
- They are satisfied with and grateful for what they have.
- They respect elders.
The above are significant signs to watch out for to know if your children are happy. However, they are not limited to the above listed.
If your child exhibits unusual behaviors, shows excessive mood swings, frequently complains, displays irregular appetite changes, or is unwilling to go to school and other activities, your child might be unhappy. You should beware that your child may be unhappy, and you need to take the necessary steps to get your child back in the happiness lane.
Your Responsibility For Your Child's Happiness
Below are your responsibilities that foster children's happiness:
- Provide A Home That Supports Their happiness
Environments have an enormous influence on children. The place they grow up determines who they grow to be. If the home is unhappy or the environment does not support their happiness, they tend to be unhappy.
While we cannot ensure our children's happiness, we can create a supportive home environment. The house should provide comfort, warmth, security, and joy. Happy children feel safe to express themselves, their thoughts, and feelings in an appropriate way and place.
Your responsibility as a parent is to give your child a home and environment that supports their happiness.
- Listen To Them
Children always want to express themselves. If your child is not doing that, you must teach them how to express their emotions and feelings. As a parent, you should listen to their complaints, answer all their questions, and make them feel comfortable talking with you. Do this and see how your children will be happy around you and how it becomes easy to detect when they are unhappy.
- Respond To Them With Empathy
Understand that your children have their perspectives, emotions, and feelings. You should always respond to them with an understanding of these. When you respond to your children with empathy, it becomes easy for you to regulate their emotions. You discover what affects their feelings and quickly know how to redirect their attention to things that make them happier.
Also, their interpersonal skills will improve, they will get along better with other kids and you, and they will be happier sooner or later.
- Cuddle And Hug Them Often
Physical touch is critically necessary for developing relationships, especially in younger children. This has a lot of proven advantages. Cuddles and hugs are a simple and effective way to express your love to your child. So, if you have a baby, try to hold them as much as possible. Try to include as much physical contact as possible, even with older kids.
Intimate relationships are essential for your child's happiness. They should have connections with you, their parents, siblings, next-door neighbors, friends, and any household pets.
- Be Happy
Do not forget that your happiness affects your child's happiness. Ensure that you stay happy. Seeing you happy and smiling creates an indirect delight in your children; when they see you moody, they tend to get anxious and hurt by your emotions.
- Take Charge
There are many other ways to put a smile on your children's faces and make them happy. Constantly spend time with them, encourage them, buy them gifts, commend and appreciate their efforts, and respect their plans and decisions. Doing these will raise mentally healthy, responsible, and happy children.
Conclusion
Growing happy children is a collective responsibility, and you have a significant role in the process. However, we understand that you may sometimes find it complicated to understand your children's emotions, and they may exhibit some attitudes that you find difficult to understand and handle.
We have brilliant counselors who can help you out in the process of building a stronger relationship with your children and provide you with practical guidelines that will make your children happy regardless of their nature and various temperaments
Contact us if you have questions about your children or need to book a session with a counselor.
