Happy child: what do children need to live happily?

A happy and strong child is a dream come true for most parents. How to raise a happy child, what to do to equip your toddler with competences that will make him happy now and in the future? What do children need to live happily, are there any general rules that should be followed when raising them?

In today's article we try to answer a very important question: How to raise a happy child?

Happy child, so what? How do you know if your child is happy?

It's hard to disagree with the fact that a healthy, happy and strong child is the dream of all parents who always want and will be they wanted the best for their child. However, before we attempt to answer the question of how to raise a happy child, it is worth taking a look at the definition itself happy baby.

Every parent should answer the question what happiness and a happy child mean to them. Is this a toddler who almost never cries or whines, reaches developmental milestones perfectly and smiles a lot? Doesn't a happy and strong child experience suffering and disappointment while almost always getting what he wants? What do children need to live happily?

How to raise a happy child: Is parents' love alone enough?

From the first days of life, a happy child grows up with the feeling that he or she does not have to deserve the love and attention of his or her parents because he or she is loved unconditionally, for simply being. How to raise a happy child? Following the thought of a Danish educator and family therapist Jasper Juul, Parents' love for their child alone may not be enough - what do children need to live happily?

Mom and dad always want the child to be strong and happy, but they often subconsciously project their own dreams and their definition of happiness onto the toddler, ignoring the child's individual needs and feelings. Parents may have the best of intentions, but if they cannot behave toward their child in a way that the child perceives as an expression of love and respect, the child is unlikely to be happy.

What children need to live happily?

A parent's unconditional love does not mean permissiveness and allowing the child to do everything. A happy and strong child knows that the parent, even when he or she is in strong emotions, e.g. very angry, always accepts the child (not necessarily the child's behavior itself), tries to understand the child, does not ignore his or her feelings and needs, and will provide support to the child if necessary. support.

A deep bond between a parent and a child, a safe attachment model based on unconditional love and time spent together are the basis for how raise a happy child.

What jeszcze need children to live happily?

Although there is no single, universal recipe for raising a happy child, there are several basic principles and values ​​that significantly influence the well-being of children and constitute a solid foundation for their fulfilled lives.

• Talking about emotions and needs, accepting feelings: When we consider what children need to live happily now and in the future, the ability to recognize and manage their emotions is the basis. A happy child knows (taught by parents and caregivers) that all emotions are there All right, and only reactions to these emotions can be inappropriate.

• Trust in the child and supporting independence: it's something children need to live happily. The sense of agency and being competent are one of the key conditions for happiness and building self-confidence. Therefore, when we wonder how to raise a happy child, let him make decisions about himself as often as possible, take up various challenges and trust that he will cope.

A happy child who feels that his or her parents believe in his or her abilities is more self-confident and willing to discover the world.

• Respectful boundary setting: a happy and strong child needs reasonable boundaries and rules that will order his world and provide a sense of stability and security. From an early age, it is worth involving children in establishing household rules and establishing a few, constant values ​​in the family that all household members follow on a daily basis.

Happy and strong child, a few words about beliefs, values ​​and the way of looking at the world

It turns out to be accurate to say that although children often do not listen to their parents, they do they are very eager to imitate them. When we wonder how to raise a happy child, it is worth taking a closer look at what we feed eats every day.

What values ​​do we want and what actual values ​​do we pass on to the child? Do our words match our actions, do we keep the promises we make to our children? What image of the world do we create in the eyes of our children? Reality is not objective and everything that happens to us can be interpreted positively or negatively.

If we want to raise a happy child, let us also show him that it is worth appreciating small, everyday joys and pleasures - a delicious breakfast eaten together, a walk among green trees and singing birds, a nice meeting with a friend.

Happiness is a collection of such small moments and joys, so let's teach our child to celebrate life and appreciate everyday good moments by our own example.