- Be warm, loving and responsive
- Respond to the child’s cues and clues
- Talk, read, and sing to your child
- Establish routines and rituals
- Encourage safe exploration and play
- Make TV watching selective
- Use discipline as an opportunity to teach
- Recognize that each child is unique
- Choose quality child care and stay involved
- Take care of yourself
(From the I Am Your Child Foundation)
Have old-fashioned, unstructured fun. All kids need a chance to decompress, take a break from playdates and lessons, and simply play freely, letting their imagination guide them.
Teach them to care. In order to be happy, children need to feel that they are valuable members of a larger community and can touch people's lives in a meaningful way. Help instill this feeling by giving them plenty of opportunities to reach out to others.
Get physical. Go sledding with your kids, or play tag in the park. Take bike rides together. You'll not only increase their strength and stamina but give them reasons to smile.
Laugh it up. Tell jokes, sing silly songs, poke fun at yourself. Laughter is good for your children - and for you.
Be creative with praise. Don't just say "Good job" whenever they make progress toward a goal or master a skill. Be specific; point out the details that you find impressive.
Make sure they eat right. Eating well minimizes mood swings and contributes to a general sense of well being.
Bring out the artist in them. You've doubtless heard the theory that listening to classical music boosts your kids' brain power. But exposure to music, dance, or any of the arts also enriches a child's inner life and sense of self-worth.
Smile. Flashing a big grin to your kids reassures them as nothing else can. It's a shorthand way of saying, "I love you."
(From "12 Surprising Ways to Raise a Happy Child"
by Carol Straley for Parents magazine)
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