Happiness, they say, is innate to a child especially since he has such an innocent and positive outlook in life. While this statement is true, it seems that it is not applicable to all children.
If you’ll look around in a particular playground, you might have noticed certain kids that are constantly frowning or crying endlessly while their playmates are laughing openly and smiling to no one and nothing in particular. Well, these sad kids may have just had a “bad” day but some scientists believe that some kids are just born happy. When a child is born into this world, he already has a certain mood and attitude. He got these from his parents, obviously, although there are no scientific conclusions.
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Parents who had noticed that their child is seldom laughing and is easy to cry would often worry that their child would grow up to be more morose and extremely moody. If left unattended, this sort of attitude and behaviour would definitely mould him to be grouchy, unpleasant and negative individual.
How to ensure happiness
In order to ensure that your moody child would be more positive and amicable towards life, give him a lot of reasons to be happy. Make him feel loved and cherished by playing with him and showing him different fun things. However, it is important that you don’t live his life for him. Do not spoil him or shield him from negative scenarios just so he wouldn’t feel sad. Allow him to experience everything and trust him to make the right decisions and feel the right emotions. Allow him to search for things that would make him happy without having you dictating any of them.
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Praise him for any job well done but let him know if he has committed any mistakes. This balance is important because if he constantly hears praises, he might not handle failures well as an adult. Let your child feel that he is loved at all times regardless if he is wrong or right. Constant encouragement is a must.
Surround them with joy
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Importantly, surround your child with other children that are normally chipper and outgoing. He may learn to adapt the qualities these cheery children have and it could greatly improve his disposition. You can do this by joining playgroups, arranging play dates, taking him out to the neighbourhood playground or visit relatives and friends who also have young children. Show your kids that you are happy as well. If he is to be spending more time with other happy individuals, you should be a part of it too. Act silly, tell jokes and just hang out with your child.
A kid’s mood, attitude and temperament cannot be changed. But if tweaked with experiences, love and care, he will grow up to be well-rounded, more positive and happy.
ALSO READ:
Positive behavior and positive reinforcement: a happy child
10 traits of a well rounded child
Simple steps for nurturing a happy family
Karen Mira no longer a corporate slave to the banking industry, she is a certified WHAM (Work-at-Home-Mom) who is consistently juggling thousands of domestic duties and writing articles of myriad topics in one day. She is the super mommy to Andrew and the loving wife of 8 years to Lemuel – the two loves of her life. Life is short and Karen makes sure that she and her family make the most of it by going on out-of-town trips, engaging in different outdoor activities and just enjoying good food together. The bone-breaking hugs from her son and passionate kisses from her husband are what fuels Karen every day.
