The key to a child’s happiness can’t be boiled down to just one component. But there are skills that can be learned to help your child bounce back from challenges and help them find success. Psychologists attribute about 50% of happiness to genetics, 10% to life circumstances and about 40% to personal choices.* Genetics are predetermined, so let’s focus on how parents and caregivers, can commit to nurturing and improving a child’s happiness regularly and make a positive difference in their lives.
Praise
Self-esteem and happiness are intertwined. Children need praise for specific traits to thrive. These include intelligence, self-worth, and athleticism. With consistent and meaningful praise children’s confidence will grow even in the face of adversity. Even failure can be praised – it shows that the child was willing to take a risk and learn from their mistakes.
Responsibilities
Feeling needed and wanted are vital to happiness. Giving kids, even as young as three, chores contributes to their growth and maturity. Start small (setting the dinner table, sorting laundry or getting the mail) and with age work towards more difficult or time-consuming tasks (doing the dishes, helping care for pets, yardwork, etc.)
Growth-mindset
We’ve all heard the saying “practice makes perfect” and it can. However, it’s important to let kids know skills are learned over time, not overnight. Many accomplished artists, musicians, and athletes have often said it takes 10,000 hours of practice to “master” a craft.
Stay Active
Physical, mental, and social health are all the building blocks of happiness. Exercise is one way to benefit all three and summertime is the best time to get outdoors for some healthy fun! Get creative with these ideas.
- Have water cup races – see who can go the distance spilling the least amount of water.
- Create an outdoor obstacle course using household items.
- Try a new kind of limbo using the water hose to cool off on a hot day.
*Source: psychologytoday.com
