Raising Happy and Confident Children

How do you raise confident and happy children?  There are many theories about this on the bookshelf, on the internet, and from people, but what are some things that you can do to help your child gain self-esteem and be as happy as possible?  Raising happy and well-adjusted children should be our main goal in life.  Well-adjusted children become well-adjusted adults who are able to deal with life and all of its problems.

The first thing to remember is that we as parents cannot make our children happy by the objects that we purchase, etc.  Buying the latest toys, video games, or gadgets will not make your child happy for life.  It may make them happy for the ten minutes that they play with that toy, game, or gadget, but in the long run, it will not make them happy inside themselves.  Raising a happy and confident child means that you give them the tools to deal with life and all of its problems.

Let them fight their own fights.  As parents, we want to keep our children from any hurt or disappointment.  What we need to realize is that if our children do not learn to deal with their own problems when they are younger, then they will not have the tools to deal with the larger life issues.  Letting them learn to stand on their own and fight their own battles can build self-confidence like nothing else can.

Never quit.  Teaching them to never give up is a way for them to learn true happiness and fulfillment.  Even something as simple as not quitting a sports team because they do not like it is teaching them that we will not always like what we do, but when we make a commitment then we stick with it.  Children need to learn that we as adults do not like everything that we do, but we stand by our word.  This makes us better people.  If they are not good at something, encourage them.  Help them practice until they are better.  Teach them that nothing comes easy, but the rewards of persistence are immeasurable.

Money isn't everything.  Teaching your children that there are people less fortunate than they are will help them to learn that money does not determine happiness.  Let them create ways to help those people less fortunate.  This will help them learn more about other people and help them gain self-confidence by teaching them that they can help others.

Listen, listen, listen.  Listen to your child.  Ask questions.  Give them your complete and total attention so they will know that you are entirely in the moment with them.  This gives a child more happiness than anything else does.  Talk to them as you would anyone else.  Children know when we talk down at them and it makes them feel inferior.  Talk to them about your day and some of your struggles so they will know that you have problems and have to work through them too.

Children are the future of the world.  If we do not raise happy, confident, well-adjusted children, then they will turn into bitter adults who cannot solve their own problems.  It is very important to do whatever we can to make sure that our children grow into independent adults.  Besides, we want them to be able to take care of us in our old age, don't we?

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