 More
and more parents are telling me that what they
truly want for their children is for them to be
happy. Sure we want our kids to succeed
in life, but what we know to be true is that real
success is measured by more than title or income.
The most successful people I know are deeply happy.
Genuine joy nurtures
your children's spirits now and gives them the
ability to access that joy for their rest of their
lives. Raising joyful children is easier than
you might think.
The following 5 tips can help you foster joy in
your children's lives:
1. Discover what makes your own spirit
sing:
Joy is an inner note
that you sing as you move through your day.
Often, however, that note becomes dimmed by the
frantic pace of our lives. Awaken it!
Make time to engage in a long walk at the end
of the day, a hot soak in the tub, a good novel,
knitting by candlelight, laughing with friends
- whatever makes your spirit sing. You show your
children how everyday joy is spun; you are the
mirror for them and reflect an adult who knows
how to create happiness no matter what is going
on in your world. When Mama or Papa is happy everyone's
happy.
2. Praise the process not the product:
If kids find their
joy solely through their parent's approval, they
set themselves up for a lifetime of disappointments.
Make sure to be authentic with your kids and encourage
them to take risks and try new things rather than
praising the outcome of a class, project, race,
or game. Love them for who they are,
not what they achieve and then watch
their authentic joy unfold.
3. Help your children experience the joy
in giving:
Kids long for connection
with others more than another new toy, as hard
as that might be to believe. Reach out with kindness
as a family and watch the joy bubble back into
your lives. What one kind deed might you
do today with your child? Bake an extra
loaf of banana bread for an elderly neighbor,
write a thank you note to the bus driver for always
smiling in the mornings, invite the child who
is new in town over for a play date? When
kids learn to ask of themselves, “What is
it I might give?” rather than “What
is it I might get?” they discover the key
for aliveness and joy.
4. Make time to laugh together:
The average family
spends far too little time engaged in humor and
way too much time engaged in complaining.
Leave a book of jokes, in good taste, lying around
the house or tuck a funny cartoon in your child's
lunch box. Create a Funny Family Movie Night and
watch classic family comedies. Surprise your child
and turn an ordinary day into a celebration. Who
knows, you might begin a tradition.
5. A healthy body can better express joy:
Make sure your child
gets enough sleep, eats healthy foods without
a lot of sugar, has plenty of opportunities
for quiet time, as well as wholesome exercise
in their day. Doing so will help regulate
their moods so joy is a fluid ongoing experience
whirling around a balanced mind body and spirit. |
