raising happy children optimism resilience peace at home parenting

Raising Happy Children: Promote Optimism & Resilience

Peace at Home March 9, 2018 | admin

By Ashley Maturo & Amy Kostak.

All children are born with personality traits that remain relatively constant throughout their lives. Some kids are more sensitive or more withdrawn. Others are born more active or more persistent.

But two traits that can change, with a little help from parents, are optimism and resilience. Optimism is a positive outlook and hopefulness; resilience is the capacity to effectively bounce back from challenges. These traits are key components of happiness. The good news is that happiness is a skill that you can teach your children.

Here a few ways you can model and promote happiness for your kids:

1. Maintain Meaningful Relationships

Children learn how to develop friendships by watching their parents build relationships. People who have one or more close friendships tend to be happier. But, “close friendships” go beyond Facebook or Instagram. Deeper connectedness involves intimacy and vulnerability, sharing personal feelings and cooperating with one another in activities.

2. Volunteer Together

Doing good for others makes us feel good about ourselves! Helping those in need gives a strong sense of purpose, and people who volunteer on a consistent basis are more likely to feel happy and confident. Volunteering as a family will increase everyone’s happiness!

sisters kids raising happy children optimism resilience peace at home parenting 3. Practice Gratitude

Being happy is all about getting into the right mindset. Thoughts that express gratitude and optimism within our daily lives help us create a more positive outlook on our futures. Grateful people are more likely to have a strong sense of belonging and experience more positive emotion. Consider implementing gratitude practices into your family life. Here are a few ideas:

  • At dinner or before bed, have the whole family say what they are thankful for about that day.
  • Create a gratitude journal with your child and schedule a time to write together.
  • Post appreciations on the fridge or stick them into lunchboxes.
  • Ask kids to share a time in the day when someone was kind to them or when they were kind to someone else.

In addition to overall happiness, optimism and resilience are linked to well-being and success. By modeling these traits, you are giving your kids a gift that will benefit them into adulthood.

For more parenting support, please join us for an Upcoming Live Class  or browse our Catalog of Recorded Content including Quick Video Solution Libraries with handouts.  Questions? Email us at Solutions@Peaceathomeparenting.com 

TOPICS

Related Posts

Peace at Home

To Whom do Children Belong?

In a recent CNN Townhall, a young trans person named Niko from Arlington, VA asked the current governor

Peace at HomeMay 15 , 2023
Peace at Home

Back To Basics: Peace At Home Principles to

Post-pandemic life has left most parents feeling stressed and overwhelmed. You may try to figure out shortcuts that

Peace at HomeMay 15 , 2023
Peace at Home

A Gift For Yourself This Mother’s Day: Practical

It’s no secret that moms need to practice self care. You hear it all the time—you can’t pour

Peace at HomeMay 10 , 2023
Peace at Home

Protect Your Child’s Mental Health: Recognize When They Need

The world we live in is increasingly complex and can be difficult to navigate for anyone, especially for

Peace at HomeApril 24 , 2023
Peace at Home

Moms and Mental Health: Put Your Oxygen Mask

It’s no secret that moms often take on the mental load for the whole family, putting the needs

Peace at HomeApril 18 , 2023
Peace at Home

School Shootings: What Now? 

In the wake of yet another horrific school shooting, you are likely having a variety of emotions. Stress,

Peace at HomeApril 03 , 2023

Join our mailing lists for more parenting tips

Peace at Home