Raising a happy child largely depends on the parents, and how they prepare the environment. It is not as easy as it may look. There are factors that you need to keep in mind. You need to avoid some and adapt some for the best parenting results.
It’s quite normal for parents to want their kids to be happy. You have to keep in mind you can’t control your kids and push them to be happy. However, you can always do certain things to enhance their surroundings, and increase the chances of raising a happy kid. For that, you need to create an environment that is happy, safe, and full of optimism and positivity.
A good parent will always strive to do things and take decisions that will bring out the best in their kids. The vital point here is to remember that no one is perfect. So we need to adapt ourselves to each others’ ways, behaviors, and habits.
Not being perfect doesn’t mean you can not work towards your goal to raise a happy kid. You need to be confident with what you have, and try to utilize that to become a role model, a better person, and a happy being for your kids.
Let’s check out some points on how to become a good parent for our kids.
Tips on Good Parenting
Good parenting is a process, which requires time and patience, some of the steps discussed here may not be easy to achieve but we should try to follow these to raise a happy child.
Even if it’s time-consuming, when you keep following these steps, you would know you’re going in the right direction.
1. Be an Ideal Role Model
You need to teach your kid what you believe and become an example for them. Teach them that actions speak louder than words. So when you tell them something, make sure to show them you are following it as well.
If your kids grow up observing you, they will most likely take up your behavioral traits. So you need to be aware of your ethics and actions. You want to be a good example for your kid.
Teach your kid to empathize, from a very early age. Empathy helps us to connect to others, makes us a humbler person. As kids grow up learning, imitating the people around them, it’s your responsibility to act sensible and in a manner so that you become a role model to them.
Be sensible towards your kid’s emotions, get to know what are your child’s strengths, and respect them.
2. Be Expressive!
Don’t shy away when it comes to showing your love towards them. Some parents think you might spoil the kids if you show too much affection. This is a very wrong way of thinking. Kids strive for affection.
Children seek the love that they deserve from their parents. It is their way of validation.
Low expectation, leniency, being an overprotective parent can make your child unhappy, and may end up with self-doubt, or can spoil them. Showing love in a materialistic way will spoil your child.
You can express love towards them in the simplest manner. By listening to what they have to say, or what’s bothering them, and by spending quality time with them.
Expressing your love will help your child to release their happy hormones, oxytocin, that way you will have a happy child around you. This will bring calmness and a sense of contentment to your child, and you will have a close relationship with them.
3. Bring them Positivity
It is extremely essential to present a positive attitude in front of your kid. For a healthier lifestyle, it is important to practice being positive for yourself and your kid.
If they see you being positive towards life, they will pick up that trait and try to apply that in their life. A child is sculpted throughout their lives by experience, so you need to be a good example for them to give them the best experience.
After they learn it from you, they can practice it elsewhere, and spread positivity.
To raise a happy and positive child, it is also important to spend quality time with them. Go for walks, play games, have story time, go camping, etc.
These happy moments create good connections between you and your child, along with it they create memories, which they will carry throughout their lives.
When it comes to disciplining your kid, make sure to be as civil as possible without being too harsh or getting physical. Have a seat with them, make them understand the difference between right and wrong. Try to be firm and kind with your words when you are discussing any issues.
Try to be on track, and focus on what you are disciplining them about in the first place.
4. Be the One your Child Feels Safe With
You need to reassure your kids, that you will always be around for them. There might be times your child feels scared or insecure, and they have no one to go to or talk to, give them the assurance you are available for them always.
Be responsive when you see them feeling discomfort or uneasy about anything, help them to open up. Be sensitive about their needs and emotions. Assure them they are not judged and react to it accordingly and come to a suitable solution to any problem they are facing.
Accept your child as they are, but discipline them if they are wrong. Teach them their morals.
Children whose parents are responsive and respect their child’s feelings, grow up having great social skills, and healthy mind growth.
5. Communication is the Key
The importance of communication is evident in all kinds of relationships. It is the key that helps us to connect, empathize, understand, and solve miscommunications.
You need to have constant communication with your child so that you can connect with them easily, and to be there for them when they need you.
Communication is important for the better development of your child’s brain. If their brain is functioning well, your child will be more active and happy. Moreover, your child will have fewer temper tantrums.
However, remember to be a good parent you don’t need to know answers for everything. Just listening to them and coming up with solutions together works great.
6. Contemplate on your Childhood
It is important to reflect on your childhood, to come up with certain realizations and answers. There might be circumstances you didn’t really like about your childhood or some activities your parents did that you did not like.
Many of us want to raise our kids differently than our parents. So when we go through our childhood, we might come across some events we don’t want to practice with our kids.
On the other hand, if you feel like your parents were great and did a tremendous job at raising you, you can apply those habits in your parenting style.
7. Take Care of Yourself As Well
To raise a happy kid, first, you need to be happy. So self-care is very important when you are in charge of raising another being. Parents need breathing space too.
After childbirth, we often forget to look after ourselves or other relationships in our life. You need to have a balance in life. You can’t dedicate all your time to your kids.
There is a high possibility of hampering your other relationships in such cases. This might present a bigger problem, and eventually create unhappiness in your life, which will affect your kid’s wellbeing.
If you think something is lacking in your parenting technique, don’t hesitate to seek help. Ask for tips from experienced moms, therapists, or lookup on the web.
Take some time off, if parenting gets tiring, and it is very normal to feel tired of parenting. There is nothing wrong with it. In that case, get some time out for yourself, go out, and have fun.
8. Don’t Use Violence Against your Kid
Some parents may think of beating their children to discipline them but it always has a worse effect. This will not teach them the difference between right or wrong but teaches them to fear.
The child will eventually get sneaky, would often lie and try to find a way of not getting caught.
If you use violence, the child is more likely to follow it and apply it to others, like their friends or other weaker targets. They often end up becoming bullies and might show antisocial traits or mental health issues later in life.
Being a Parent is Rewarding
Although parenting may look very tough it is also rewarding. With all the hard work you put into your child, the rewarding results will come maybe a little later than expected but they will if you nurture them properly. Hope you follow your parenting responsibility perfectly and, without regrets!
