8 tips to make our children happier

Can happiness be learned?

According to some studies, 60% of happiness is due to genetic factors; the rest depends on external factors. And this is where we become, in some way, responsible for fostering the happiness of the little ones, since happiness can also be learned.

8 suggestions to increase the happiness of the little ones

Below, we offer some suggestions so we can increase the happiness of our little ones:

- Are those around them happy? It is important that the other members of the family feel satisfied with themselves in order to convey harmony to our own. If we are not happy, we can rarely teach them what happiness is.

- Autonomy. By dressing your children so they are not late, or feeding them because they are "picky eaters" or simply because they are mesmerized watching television, we turn children into people who do not know how to manage situations on their own. Stimulating children's independence will help boost their self-esteem and self-confidence.

-

Sharing and thinking about others**. Some studies confirm that people who take an interest in their surroundings tend to be less depressed individuals. Specialists suggest that fostering humanity and helping others is an important part of family life, and children can benefit greatly from it.

Even helping at home with small tasks will teach your child the meaning of contributing.

- Play with your child. Play fosters communication between parents and children. It helps create a space in which bonds are strengthened through a playful medium. By playing with them, we accompany them in discovering the world and themselves. It is an easy way to get closer to our children, to understand them, to get down to their level in order to learn to understand them better.

Encourage cooperative games and reduce competitive ones.

- Let them express their emotions. Anger or sadness are emotions we do not like to see in our children, but if we ignore them, all we do is make these feelings more intense and harder to handle. Knowing and controlling emotions is essential for our children to function properly in society, which is why we are responsible for letting them get frustrated when they do not get what they want, or letting them cry when a friend did not want to play with him/her. Letting them feel, regardless of the emotion, helps develop their emotional intelligence.

- Rules and limits. Allowing our children everything helps them stop valuing things, since they get everything easily. But what happens when they find themselves in a situation in which they do not get what they want? Well, when they do not achieve it on the first try, their frustration will be greater. That is why we must give them some rules, since our society is governed by them.

- Listen to them. Your children know perfectly well when they are truly being listened to. Put down the phone or the television when your children need you; you will feel more connected to them and you will help them feel understood.

-

Positive reinforcement**. If we focus only on what they do wrong, what we do is trample their self-esteem and self-confidence. Sometimes we think they are not capable of doing certain things. Let's send them more messages of support and confidence: "It's okay that you failed this subject, now I know that if you make an effort you will be able to do much better."

- Patience. Calm parents, calm children. Adults who convey patience generate a relaxed environment. This allows children to better manage stressful situations that commonly occur in life.