Help Children to Grow into Happy Adults

Help Children to Grow into Happy Adults : Ask any parent what their biggest wish for their child is, and the answer is almost certainly: just for them to be happy. Parents often worry about whether the way they are raising their kids now is going to have a long term effect, and if they are teaching the right skills not just for their child to succeed now while they’re still young, but once they’ve grown up too.

While it’s hard to think about, you can’t be around for them forever, and one day they’re going to have to face this world without you. Rather than let this upset you, you can choose to use it as motivation to start teaching some of the most crucial skills they’ll need to be happy, healthy and successful all on their own. The younger you start (gently!) enforcing good behaviors and a positive mindset, the better the chances your youngster will blossom into a well-adjusted and happy adult! Here are some of the most important practices you can start with.

Hard work brings big rewards

Save the biggest and best presents and rewards for when your child has really worked hard at something, or overcome a challenge that they found particularly taxing. While we all love spoiling our kids, knowing when to do it can mean the difference between a child (and eventually adult) who expects everything to be handed to them on a silver platter – and one who’s willing to put the effort into getting the things they want.

Teach them how to deal with stress in a constructive manner:

Whether you’re 3 or 30 years old, stress is a fact of life. While your toddler breaking their favorite toy might not sound like as big of a deal as having your smartphone stolen, the emotions are pretty much the same! All of us need to let off steam now and then, and whether your child learns to do this in a positive or negative way is a lesson you can have a big hand in. When they’re very young, take your lead from them about an activity that they will find useful to relieve stress and tension – something tactile like finger painting, throwing a ball around outside or mashing up play-dough (much like an adult might use a stress ball!).

As they get older, using sports for stress relief becomes a great option. Search for some fun, absorbing and different activities in your area – paintballing Leeds, indoor rock climbing London, whatever takes your fancy or your child has expressed an interest in. Most important of all, make sure to lead by example! If you come home stressed out by a tough day at work, make sure they see you choosing to go for a quick jog, stretching out on your yoga mat, sitting down with a mug of hot tea or putting on some relaxing music rather than snapping at everyone around you!

Coping with failure

Another sure thing in your child’s future, sadly enough, is that there are going to be times they fail or are disappointed in themselves or others. Getting back up, dusting yourself off and soldiering on is a vital skill kids and adults alike need to practice before it becomes a habit. While a parent’s first instinct is to soothe their child when they fail and play down the importance of their mistakes, they present some excellent learning opportunities that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Inspire a positive attitude by asking questions that point your child in a better direction. Can you think of any ways you could do better next time? What do you feel like you learned from this? If no answers are forthcoming at first, make a few positive suggestions yourself. If you repeat this pattern over and over – this is the problem, how can I fix it? – it will eventually become ingrained. And you’ll almost certainly experience a benefit too!

There are times to be independent and times to ask for help

Self-reliance is an excellent quality, but most of us either have too little or too much of it! Hard as it can be, force yourself to hang back from time to time and let your child try things on their own. If they run to you for help the moment something becomes difficult, then you know you need to work on building their independence.

The power of self-discipline

As a parent, it’s your job to enforce discipline while your kids are young, but eventually they’re going to have to learn to motivate themselves, overcome boredom and procrastination, and all the other things that make you a proper ‘grown-up’! Let them start practicing now, while you’re still there to step in, rather than having to learn the hard way later on.

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