5 Parenting Strategies for Raising Happy Kids

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Parenting has got to be the most fulfilling lifetime job that an individual can experience in their whole life. Children bring so much joy in our lives and in the world in general. As this generation is growing bigger and bigger each day, as parents, it is your responsibility to raise your children with a positive mindset and a happy personality that they can share with the people who surround them. 

Giving your children a happy, healthy, and positive childhood can have a huge impact on the person they will become in the future. Children who are happy children when they are growing up tend to have more successes in life compared to those children who are always feeling down and sad. Having a healthy and positive mindset as they are growing can help them become happy and positive individuals in the future and may go a long way. 

But for most parents, they might be wondering: how can I raise a happy kid?

Raising happy children does not mean giving them all that they want, especially material things who will only make them happy for a short period of time. Children who are happy make them realize and value long-term happiness in life.

As a parent, you can always help and guide your children in living a fruitful and happy life and make them feel grateful for whatever life they have now. Help your children develop skills that can adapt a healthy, lifelong habit that they can share with everyone in their life.

To know how to raise happy children, here are seven tips to do so.

1. Let them play outside.

Most parents, especially strict parents, would rather have their children play inside the house rather than going out to play. Remember, for children, playtime is very important to them. This is the time that they get to enjoy themselves and let their minds work while playing. Let your children play outside your front or back yard or together with your neighbor's children. 

It has been proven by studies and research that when children are exposed out in nature with trees, sunlight, and flowers, they most likely boost up your child's mood. You can always encourage your child to do outdoor activities or even do their homework, do artwork, or read books outside. 

2. Let them understand the concept of gratitude.

Letting your children learn how to be grateful for what they have in their life right now can make them happier and healthier people when they grow up. Gratitude is a very important thing for children to realize and understand at a young age. Let them know the difference of saying "thank you" and really meaning it. According to the study, people who are grateful tend to have better relationships and are happier in life. Of course, since your children are still young, as a parent, you can always be a role model for them. Expressing gratitude can be one to act that you can start off, such as saying a simple thanks.

3. Let them understand self-control.

It is important for parents to teach their children how to be disciplined people. With discipline comes self-control. Your child may feel happy enjoying a good chocolate cookie, binge-watching their favorite TV shows instead of helping clean the house, but you need to let them realize that these are an only momentary pleasure. You may teach your child to control themselves by helping them through more disciplined actions, such as putting their smartphones and gadgets in one place when they do the chores. Once they're done, they can get it from the basket. 

4. Eat meals together

This might be a little hard especially for those parents who are busy with work always and barely has time to cook and prepare meals for them, but it might not hurt your schedule if you at least set a day or two in a week to have one meal together as a family. Family meals do not only promote good health in terms of food but can also strengthen your bond as a family where you can all talk about how your day went and how have you been in the past days.

5. Exercise as a family

Aside from having meals together, a family that exercises together, stays happily and healthily together. If you think a gym subscription would be too heavy to pay for your whole family, you don't have to worry. You can always have a good night walk or jog in the park or your neighborhood together with your children. You may also opt to lay yoga mats in your living room and do exercises together.