Parents are responsible for caring for and giving our children everything they need for their healthy development, from their physical health to their emotional education. And without a doubt, one of the things that we care about the most as parents is making sure that our children are happy .
It is well known that the first years of life will be the basis for their social and emotional development in the future, so it is extremely important to make sure that we are giving them the necessary tools. Therefore, today we talk about how to raise happy children and we share the keys to positive parenting .
Happy children: the goal of all parents
Happiness is something we all aspire to. Having a life with which we feel calm, full and happy is undoubtedly one of the goals that many of us want, not only for ourselves, but also for our own children. As parents, our mission is that: to help our children to be happy. But how to do it? What steps should we follow to achieve it?
From Espacio Vida, they have shared a very complete infographic with us to be able to raise happy children, based on developmental psychology :
In it, we can observe some of the most important points to be able to raise happy children , so based on that, we share a little more about each one, and how you can carry them out at home.
Secure attachment
At Babies and More we are promoters of attachment or respectful parenting, as well as positive discipline, of which we have spoken on several occasions.
There are different types of attachment, but the one that will help us to have happy children is the secure attachment, which is one in which a relationship is fostered where there is communication, care and affective demonstrations , providing children with security, but also the necessary tools. to develop their autonomy.
A healthy environment
The environment in which children develop greatly influences not only their emotional development, but also the possible problems they may face in the future . Various studies have found that growing up in a conflictive or violent environment increases the chances of having problems at school or engaging in risky behaviors, such as alcohol and drugs.
Let us remember that the environment in which children grow up will also lay the foundations for the type of relationships they have with other people, so it is important that they develop in an environment of respect and affection, in which they are taken into account and where Family conflicts are resolved in the friendliest and most peaceful way possible , regardless of whether the parents are together or apart.
Recognize your efforts
One of the keys to being happy is feeling good about ourselves. But feeling good about oneself is something that comes from within and that begins to be fostered from childhood. So as parents, it is up to us to guide our children so that they have good self-esteem, confidence and self-assurance .
To achieve this, we need to pay attention not only to the way we treat them, but also to the words we say to them and how we say them to them: do we recognize only when they manage to do something well, or do we also praise their efforts? It seems like a simple question, but the answer is more important than we think.
Sometimes we think the best we can do is make them see their mistakes and only praise them when they do things the right way, but this could make it difficult for them to handle frustration when they fail. Instead of just highlighting their mistakes, we should also praise their efforts , so that they continue to try and gradually increase their confidence in themselves.
Have limits and be constant
Contrary to what some people believe, attachment or respectful parenting is not the same as never setting limits and letting children do whatever they want . Doing it that way would only result in disoriented and insecure children, because no one ever told them how far they could go.
Our role as parents, in addition to being guides and providing them with a safe place, is to set limits clearly, firmly and consistently , explaining to them so that they understand them and can understand how important they are, and always doing so with respect and by example.
Work on your emotional education
Academic education corresponds to the school, emotional education to the parents. Working on it since they are babies and helping them manage their emotions when they are older is essential for their healthy development and happiness .
We must support and guide our children so that they can understand, identify and manage their emotions , not only to prevent them from being emotionally illiterate, but also so that they can have a positive relationship with themselves and with other people.
Take care of our mental and emotional health
And last but not least: our mental and emotional health. How do we intend to raise happy and safe children if we ourselves do not take care of these aspects of our lives? Being mothers and fathers, it is easy to forget ourselves, but if we are not emotionally well, we will not be able to transmit that well-being to our children, or promote healthy development in them .
For this, we must find time for ourselves alone, in which we can dedicate ourselves to doing those activities that make us feel better , as well as attending to any mental health problems or concerns that we have.
With these keys based on positive parenting, we can help our children grow and develop in a healthy way, making them children and, eventually, happy adults .
Photo | iStock
