Parents often complain about children's disobedience, passivity, or lack of independence. However, it should be understood that discipline, motivation, and independence are not character traits that are encoded in the gene. The dominant personal qualities a child will grow up with depend on their parents' upbringing. Unfortunately, adults often underestimate their role in the fate of the younger generation.
The Kateryna Biloruska Foundation works for children and the development of their potential through sports, physical activity, and innovative education, as well as mental health. In this article, we will explain how to raise a child so they grow up to be a full-fledged happy person.
Show your children love and support
Raising happy and healthy children starts with understanding. Love and support are essential for their emotional and social development, as they provide a sense of security and belonging essential for holistic growth and building trusting relationships.
When children feel love and support, they
- feel confident, secure, and able to navigate the world around them;
- have higher self-esteem and are less likely to experience psychological problems;
- develop proper coping mechanisms, and do not suffer from high expectations and a painful desire for independence.
So the first rule to raising a happy child is to start with yourself. Become a role model for your child, respond adequately to their needs, and learn to negotiate, not just forbid and “pay off” with cartoons and things.
Children who feel neglected or unloved develop a range of emotional and behavioral problems, such as anxiety, depression, and difficulties with socialization can lead to negative consequences, including substance abuse and even suicide in adulthood.
Create stability and predictability in their lives
We don’t come into the world with a manual that tells us how to raise happy children, but psychologists’ advice solves this “puzzle.”
According to their research, between the ages of 3 and 12, a sense of stability and predictability in children’s lives is vital to successful parenting. This aspect includes establishing a daily routine, creating a safe mental and physical development environment, and respecting personal boundaries. It is not a one-time event but an ongoing process that requires constant attention and effort from parents.
Respect their individuality and support their hobbies
Having yet to explore how to raise a happy, self-confident person, parents often confuse respect for individuality with their irresponsibility, indifference, or overprotection.
It is harmful to try to turn a child into a professor or an Olympic champion by enrolling them in all the classes without first identifying their talents and hobbies. It is even worse leaving a child without a plan, guidance, and support, without giving them a stimulus to pursue hobbies and curiosity.
That’s why balance is essential. Provide children with opportunities for research and discovery, approval and recognition of their achievements, and most importantly, the freedom to make their own choices, guiding them in every way possible. This is how to raise a happy person.
Do not impose your ambitions and expectations on the child
All the rules for raising a happy child state that you should not transfer your unfulfillment to your children. Setting your aspirations and desires during the educational process results in low self-esteem and a lack of motivation and engagement in the child due to pressure and constant stress.
Understanding how to raise a child to grow into a full-fledged, happy personality will allow them to unleash their potential and self-esteem.
Let them make mistakes
If you think you know how to raise a child to be happy because of their success in school, you know nothing. The “A” student syndrome is much worse than it seems. Some possible consequences are low self-esteem, a shift in personality development, excessive dependence on the assessment of others, an inability to enjoy their victories, and social failure.
When parents create an environment where mistakes are seen as opportunities for growth and learning, children develop stress resistance, problem-solving skills, the ability to conclude their experiences, and independent thinking.
Here some tips for raising a happy child
- Encourage children to take risks and try new things.
- Help them reflect on their experiences and identify areas for growth.
- Avoid overprotection.
- Teach children how to deal with failure.
When parents allow children to make mistakes and learn from them, it leads to a more prosperous life.
Teach children social skills and respect for others
Raising happy and healthy children is only possible with integration into society. When children learn how to interact with others positively and respectfully, they develop empathy, communication skills, and a sense of social responsibility. Without these qualities, there is a high risk of aggressive or antisocial behavior, leading to difficulties in establishing romantic, business, and other relationships.
Don’t forget about emotions
With openness and rapprochement, parents will realize how to improve the family microclimate and raise happy children. Therefore, the task of adults is to form a connection with their feelings and emotions in the younger generation and teach them to control and express them healthily. It is the only way for children to develop emotional intelligence, flexibility, and self-awareness.
The last tips for raising healthy and happy children
It is necessary to respect the child’s inherent individuality, establish open communication on an equal footing, model positive roles, and encourage healthy habits, interests, and hobbies.
These are not all the tips for raising healthy and happy children. However, we hope they will help you look at your child and their aspirations differently so that they grow up healthy and happy!
What is the main goal and mission of the Kateryna Biloruska Foundation
- Our main goal is to help as many children as possible. The Foundation does this through charitable projects and programs in the field of sports.
“We will achieve qualitative changes in people’s lives. By working with children in the areas of sports, innovative education, socialization, and mental health, we are investing in a healthy, harmonious, and conscious future generation. This is why our charitable Foundation was created,”
said Kateryna Biloruska, the founder.
- The charitable Foundation constantly expands its activities, attracting new partners, experts, and like-minded people.
- Our mission is to provide children with equal rights and access to sports and innovative education, thereby improving the population’s and future generations’ health and well-being.
