There are tons of resources online for you to learn how to raise smart and successful kids. But oftentimes, as parents, all we want is for our children to grow up happy and healthy. Interestingly enough, happier kids are more likely to turn into successful, accomplished adults. Research also shows that the quality of the early relationship builds the foundation for virtually every aspect of human development. Fortunately, happiness is a learned behaviour. Today, we explore 6 tips on how to build a foundation to raise a happy child!
YOU have to be happy too!
Emotional problems in parents are linked to emotional problems in their children. Simply put, how happy you are affects how happy your kids are. This is not merely due to genetics; laughter literally is contagious! Take some time off each week to do something that makes you happy. It could be anything, like going shopping, or gardening!
Have family celebrations often
Happy families celebrate big and small wins and achievements. It could be the first day of school, a job promotion, or an improved grade. A simple celebration such as going to the playground to play together to celebrate is enough. Otherwise, you can also plan a family meal to celebrate an achievement, big or small! Remember, happy families lead to happy children!
Teach your child to build meaningful relationships
Having strong relationships is vital for children’s psychological well-being and happiness. Teach your child to build such meaningful and lasting relationships by:
· Responding appropriately to you child’s emotional cues
· Creating an environment for their children to form friendships
· Teaching them to resolve conflicts
· Encouraging you child to perform small acts of kindness to build empathy
At Nurture Infant House Tampines, our educarers are attuned and responsive to our children' needs. Our teachers are taught how to identify different temperaments to create a nurturing environment for our children. In this caring environment, our children are taught empathy and patience so as to build relationships with their peers.
Praise effort, not perfection
Reward your child when he/she puts in the effort to do something. If you only reward perfection, your child may pay attention to the small details that went wrong in everything that he/she does! Teach them to be positive and focus on the big picture and on the things that went right!
Try and understand your child, focus on his/her strengths so build his/her self-confidence. On the other hand, teach your child that failures should be seen as opportunities to learn and get better and there can be another chance in the future to improve from the failure. It is important not to give up.
Ensure that your child gets enough sleep
We shared tips on how you can get your child to have a good night's rest here.
Children who do not get enough sleep are less able to manage their emotions. To help your children get enough sleep, establish a consistent bedtime routine and limit stimulating activities after dinner. You can also make your children’s bedroom as quiet and dark as possible, to improve their sleep quality!
Allow more play time
In this article, we talked about the benefits of outdoor play.
When children play, they are fully enjoying the present moment. In other words, they are practicing mindfulness. Playtime that is free and unstructured, such as running around in the playground, playing hide-and-seek or building blocks, is good for your child’s mental well-being. Switch the iPad out for an hour of playtime around your neighbourhood!
Talk, talk, talk!
Talk to your child about anything and everything. Encourage your child to share his/her thoughts and feelings with you. When the child is sharing his/her feelings, try and match your response to the intensity of his/her emotion. If he/she is happy, show your happiness too! If he/she is sad, show empathy towards his/her hurt feelings.
Happy environment, happy child
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the number of things you have to look out for in order to build the foundation for a happy child. Placing your child in a happy environment, such as an infant care is a great option.
Here at Nurture Infant House Tampines, we bring our precious little ones outdoors daily.
Being outdoors gives children more opportunities to be physically active, improves their motor skills, strengthens their immune system and reduces risk of myopia. The outdoors is fun, yet calming and makes our children happier.
To read more about the benefits of placing your child in infant care, click here!
Nurture Infant House (Tampines) At Nurture Infant House, our passion is to love and care for each infant and to provide a safe and interactive environment for infants to learn and grow in body and in mind independently. If you are looking for infant care in Tampines or in East, do visit Nurture Infant House. We have over 30 years of experience in nurturing thousands of infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers.
If you are looking for a preschool for toddlers and older children in Tampines or in East, do visit Genesis Childcare 1989.
Feel free to book an appointment through WhatsApp. You can visit us at the following venues:
Nurture Infant House (Tampines) (2 to 18 months Infants) Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-61 Singapore 520433
Tel: 96664141
Genesis Childcare 1989 (Tampines)
Blk 433 Tampines Street 43 #01-63/65 Singapore 520433
Tel: 96664141