How to Raise Happy Children

Before learning to raise happy children, parents should know what exactly does happiness mean. The popular culture says that happiness is related to the amount of money a person makes, how good looking he is, how much power he has and how many people know him. On the contrary, this is not what happiness depends upon!

A happy person is the one who has loving relationships, who knows how to care for other people, who can give, be responsible and is ready to compromise, if the situation demands. A person is happy when he is positive, confident and values himself as well as others.

As parents, it is very important to incorporate all these qualities, in kids, right from childhood itself. Given below are some tips for raising healthy and happy children.

Appreciate your child. If he has learned something new or achieved anything, even if it is very small, point it out and praise him. Appreciating the child and positive reinforcement goes a long way in making a child confident and happy! At the same time, do not overdo it! Do not use words like "the best" or "perfect" or "brilliant", as it will raise expectations, which can pressurize a child and cause him stress.

Tell your child that it is all right to make mistakes as long as he remembers them and does not repeat the same! Childhood is a time of experimentation. Children are up to trying all kinds of things and in the midst of it, can end up making many mistakes.

Instead of scolding and criticizing the children, parents should instead talk to them about it, explain to them why a particular action is wrong on their part and that they should not repeat it. Scolding, being aggressive with the children - these are some things that parents should completely avoid as they can have an adverse effect on a child's psyche.

Build a healthy relationship with your child. Provide him a secure family environment where love, trust, support and encouragement are visible in each and every interaction. Be the perfect role models to your child as he is watching, observing and incorporating your each and every habit.

Researches have shown that the kind of relationship a child sees between his parents, he looks for similar one for himself in adulthood. So if you and your partner are loving, the child will learn how to create nurturing relationships himself, in the future.

A touch is very important in building relationships. So hug your child, kiss him and embrace him, to show that you truly love him. Also, take out some "family time" every day and eat together, while discussing how the day went for everyone. This will also give you an opportunity to assess whether your child is facing any kind of problems in school or how he is faring, in terms of his relationships with his peers and teachers.

Teach your child to be "giving". You can do this by taking him to an NGO and involving him in doing something for the have-nots of the society. Let him join some charity too and help him raise funds for it. If you want to keep things simple, get him a pet or keep a potted plant on his bedroom window sill and make it his responsibility to take care of it.

These are some ways in which you can teach your child not to be individualistic and self-centric, but to help others, do something for fellow beings, animals and plants, without any kind of expectation. As true happiness lies in "giving", your child will become happy from within, while caring for and nurturing, those around him.

Finding a balance in life is very important. Children should be taught this, right in the beginning itself. Parents should see to it that it is not just academics which children are involved in, but in all other activities as well, like sports, singing, dance, drama, reading, exercising, etc. Children should also be taught that their worth is not dependent on how well they are doing academically. If they are creative, helping and loving, they are as good as any distinction holder.

Children are said to be naturally creative. So if you want to really see them happy, provide them a creative outlet, by introducing them to either singing, writing, sports, or any other creative activity. If children are passionate about something in their life, they are much more likely to remain stress-free. This will make them happy and relaxed adults.

Healthy children are happy children. So provide your child with healthy meals, which are preferably cooked at home. Suggest healthy food choices to your children. For instance, instead of sodas, ask him to drink low fat milk, instead of pizzas, give him fresh fruits to eat.

Make most of his diet from fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. If healthy eating habits are inculcated from childhood itself, it is much more likely that they are carried right through adulthood, thus keeping a person disease-free and happy.

As you can see, there are no fixed ways and rules with regards to raising happy children. Good parenting is all about being positive, giving time to your child, supporting him, being there for him and involving him in all kinds of activities which enhance his creativity, natural goodness, knowledge and intelligence.