{"id":51898,"date":"2022-02-17T09:10:55","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T14:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/?p=51898"},"modified":"2022-02-16T18:32:28","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T23:32:28","slug":"5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every parent would agree that they want their child to be happy, and giving your kids happy, healthy childhoods could set them up for success in life. Still, many parents wonder, how exactly do you raise happy kids in today\u2019s world? Raising happy kids isn\u2019t about giving them momentary pleasure or immediate gratification. It\u2019s quite the opposite.<\/p>\n

Happy kids have a skill set that allows them to enjoy long-term happiness in life. They\u2019re able to pass up instant gratification to reach their goals. You can help your kids develop those skills by adopting healthy, lifelong habits. Here are some ways to raise happy kids.<\/p>

\n
<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Encourage playing outside.<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t underestimate the power of outdoor play. Running on the grass, climbing trees, sitting on a swing, and digging in the dirt is great for kids. Scents associated with nature, like pine trees, cut grass, and lavender, can boost your child\u2019s mood. So, you might encourage your child to read a book outside or do their homework on the porch to give them an instant boost in happiness. Outdoor play can also improve social skills in children. A\u00a02017 study<\/a>\u00a0published in the\u00a0Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport<\/em>\u00a0found that children who increased their time playing outside increased their empathy, engagement, and self-control, all critical social skills. Another study\u00a0found that kids with better social skills are twice as likely to go to college and less likely to experience substance abuse, obesity, and violence. So, make outdoor play a daily habit. Even when the weather isn\u2019t perfect, encourage your kids to ride their bikes, play with neighborhood kids, and run around in the great outdoors.<\/p>\n

Practice gratitude.<\/h2>\n

Incorporating gratitude into your everyday lives could help kids become happier, healthier people. Still, keep in mind that there\u2019s a big difference between forcing a \u201cthank you\u201d and genuinely meaning it. Grateful people enjoy better relationships, which can be vital to living a happier life. One of the best ways to help kids become genuinely grateful is modeling gratitude. Make it a family habit to talk about what you feel thankful for.<\/p>

\n
<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Identify three things you\u2019re grateful for at the dinner table, or talk about what you\u2019re thankful for at bedtime. This practice will help your children learn to look for things they can be grateful for in their daily lives. Make it a habit to send thank you notes too. Instead of just signing their name, encourage your child to identify something specific to thank someone for. You don\u2019t have to save thank you notes for gifts either. You might encourage your child to write a thank you note to his teacher for helping him during the school year, or you might write a note to an incredibly kind coach.<\/p>\n

Limit screen time.<\/h2>\n

Your child might insist that playing endless hours of\u00a0video games\u00a0makes them happy. However, too much screen time is bad for your child\u2019s psychological well-being. A\u00a02018 study\u00a0<\/a>published in the journal\u00a0Emotion<\/em>\u00a0found that adolescents who spent less time on their digital devices and more time on non-screen activities, like sports, homework, religious services, and other in-person activities, were happier. Establish clear\u00a0limits on your child\u2019s screen time. If they have a smartphone, limit their access when you\u2019re doing family activities, riding in the car, or when they\u2019re playing outside. Set clear guidelines about how much time they can spend watching TV and using the computer.<\/p>

\n
<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Assign chores.<\/h2>\n

Your children won\u2019t love clearing the table or dusting the living room now. However,\u00a0assigning chores\u00a0could be a critical factor in helping them achieve long-term happiness. One\u00a0study<\/a>\u00a0found that giving kids chores at age three and four was the most significant predictor of long-term success. It may be that children who do chores feel like they\u2019re pitching in, which helps them feel more connected to their families. That sense of connection may help them stay mentally strong when they encounter hard times.<\/p>\n

Chores can also teach kids various life lessons, such as responsibility and community service. They may also learn they can cope with tedious tasks or that they\u2019re capable of persevering even when they feel frustrated. Making their beds and cleaning the kitchen can also give them a sense of accomplishment and show them that they\u2019re capable of making a difference even though they\u2019re young.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t overindulge your children.<\/h2>\n

Buying your child lots of gifts on holidays or giving kids everything they want won\u2019t make them happy. Overindulging kids\u00a0may take a toll on their psychological well-being. Some research indicates that overindulged kids are likely to experience feelings of chronic discontent. They may struggle to identify the difference between wants and needs, and consequently, they may think\u00a0happiness stems from material goods. So, it would be best to resist the urge to get your kids everything they want.<\/p>

\n
<\/div>\n\t
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

Even though they might insist that having the newest smartphone, more brand-name clothing, and a better bicycle will make them happy, the research indicates otherwise. Give them the chance to earn privileges. They\u2019ll appreciate things much more when they\u2019ve had to work hard to get something, rather than having everything handed to them. Focus more on experiences rather than things. People who feel the happiest spend their time and money creating memories, not collecting more items.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that kids don\u2019t need to be happy all the time. They also need to experience \u200buncomfortable emotions, like sadness, anger, fear, and disappointment.\u200b There\u2019s no need to cheer your kids up or take action when experiencing painful emotions. Instead, coach them through it and help them find ways to soothe themselves and cope with their feelings.<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not a reflection of your parenting if they aren\u2019t happy every minute of the day. Your job isn\u2019t to become responsible for your children\u2019s happiness. Instead, it\u2019s up to you to give your children the skills they need to manage their emotions healthily. Finally, the best thing you can do to help raise happy kids is to provide them with a loving environment. Kids who know they are loved and cared about are more likely to thrive, even when they face challenging circumstances in life.<\/p>\n

×<\/span><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every parent wants their child to be happy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":48681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"2normal","fbia_status":""},"categories":[626,28115],"tags":[9],"yoast_head":"\n5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child - FamilyToday<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Every parent would agree that they want their child to be happy. Giving your kids happy, healthy childhoods could set them up for success.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Every parent would agree that they want their child to be happy. Giving your kids happy, healthy childhoods could set them up for success.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FamilyToday\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-02-17T14:10:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-02-16T23:32:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2021\/08\/pexels-vlada-karpovich-4617295.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lauren McKeithen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"BN Media, LLC\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/famtoday\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2020\/03\/bnmedia-logo-lg.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2020\/03\/bnmedia-logo-lg.png\",\"width\":1315,\"height\":311,\"caption\":\"BN Media, LLC\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/\",\"name\":\"FamilyToday\",\"description\":\"Here today, better tomorrow.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2021\/08\/pexels-vlada-karpovich-4617295.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2021\/08\/pexels-vlada-karpovich-4617295.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":853,\"caption\":\"Pexels\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/\",\"name\":\"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child - FamilyToday\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-02-17T14:10:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-02-16T23:32:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"Every parent would agree that they want their child to be happy. Giving your kids happy, healthy childhoods could set them up for success.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#webpage\"},\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ffbdf0ffeafd59af095d8f3a35e8cc0\"},\"headline\":\"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-02-17T14:10:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-02-16T23:32:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#webpage\"},\"wordCount\":1057,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2021\/08\/pexels-vlada-karpovich-4617295.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"parenting\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Family\",\"Parenting\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ffbdf0ffeafd59af095d8f3a35e8cc0\",\"name\":\"Lauren McKeithen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#personlogo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/113fb9cc9b1ebdaacbc1f17d658ad52e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/113fb9cc9b1ebdaacbc1f17d658ad52e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lauren McKeithen\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/author\/lmckeithen\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child - FamilyToday","description":"Every parent would agree that they want their child to be happy. Giving your kids happy, healthy childhoods could set them up for success.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child","og_description":"Every parent would agree that they want their child to be happy. Giving your kids happy, healthy childhoods could set them up for success.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/","og_site_name":"FamilyToday","article_published_time":"2022-02-17T14:10:55+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-02-16T23:32:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":853,"url":"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2021\/08\/pexels-vlada-karpovich-4617295.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lauren McKeithen","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#organization","name":"BN Media, LLC","url":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/famtoday"],"logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#logo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2020\/03\/bnmedia-logo-lg.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2020\/03\/bnmedia-logo-lg.png","width":1315,"height":311,"caption":"BN Media, LLC"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#logo"}},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/","name":"FamilyToday","description":"Here today, better tomorrow.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#primaryimage","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2021\/08\/pexels-vlada-karpovich-4617295.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2021\/08\/pexels-vlada-karpovich-4617295.jpg","width":1280,"height":853,"caption":"Pexels"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/","name":"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child - FamilyToday","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2022-02-17T14:10:55+00:00","dateModified":"2022-02-16T23:32:28+00:00","description":"Every parent would agree that they want their child to be happy. Giving your kids happy, healthy childhoods could set them up for success.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child"}]},{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#webpage"},"author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ffbdf0ffeafd59af095d8f3a35e8cc0"},"headline":"5 Secrets to Raising a Happy Child","datePublished":"2022-02-17T14:10:55+00:00","dateModified":"2022-02-16T23:32:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#webpage"},"wordCount":1057,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/family\/5-secrets-to-raising-a-happy-child\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/wp-media.familytoday.com\/2021\/08\/pexels-vlada-karpovich-4617295.jpg","keywords":["parenting"],"articleSection":["Family","Parenting"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#\/schema\/person\/9ffbdf0ffeafd59af095d8f3a35e8cc0","name":"Lauren McKeithen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/#personlogo","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/113fb9cc9b1ebdaacbc1f17d658ad52e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/113fb9cc9b1ebdaacbc1f17d658ad52e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Lauren McKeithen"},"url":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/author\/lmckeithen\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51898"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51898"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51898\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51901,"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51898\/revisions\/51901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51898"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51898"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.familytoday.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51898"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}