Keys To Educate Happy Children

Is there a way to guarantee the happiness of our children? At all, there is no magic recipe that guarantees that children can become completely happy adults tomorrow. But as parents and educators, we can establish bases, guidelines that will serve as a starting point, from which they develop their social skills or emotional security.

We must also be clear about another aspect: until adolescence, parents are going to be the maximum figure of reference in children. The figure of the mother, the father, also the grandparents in many cases, become those reference models from whom to learn and from whom to feel safe through the indispensable attachment relationships.

1. Communication

It does not matter that the baby does not know how to speak yet. The education of children begins from the moment of their birth. Establishing routines, guidelines, habits and speaking to them at all times in a calm but firm tone will make the child learn from us.

Answer all their questions, attend to their concerns, ask what they think, what they feel even if they are only two or three years old. Establish a continuous interaction where you are always the same. Discrepancies, contradictions, cause some frustration in the child.

If we must give orders, let them be firm and clear. And one by one. The orders will always be accompanied by good communication and argumentation. Explain what purpose they have, since we must make the child understand at all times what we expect of them with consistency, and above all, without falling into contradictions.

2. Emotional intelligence

We can teach them to read, to ride a bicycle, to cross the green traffic lights and to learn the capitals of each country. But we must also attend to their inner world. Talking about your own emotions will offer you essential skills for tomorrow, not only to understand yourself, but also to understand others.

It is normal for children to have tantrums, anger, outbursts of anger … investigating what is behind these behaviors will make them understand what they feel and how to channel it. We do not want children cloistered in their own rooms, looking only at their computers and cell phones. We want children to be in relationships, to interact with the world and with themselves. You have to get them used to talking about their problems, knowing how to seek help and this is only achieved through confidence in the day-to-day.

3. Democratic education

Children will move in different contexts and must learn that in every space there are established limits and norms. If we make it clear to them and tell them what they can and cannot do, they will embed the message that things will not be the way they want and when they always want it.

Children with little resistance to frustration are often the most unhappy because they never get what they want. To avoid this, a democratic education must be established, with rules that are in dialogue with each other so that they are more understandable. Rules and rights are always negotiated. Children must show us that they are capable of doing things and that we can trust them, this is how they will mature little by little, when they know their rights and duties.

4. Freedom, imagination and respect

Each child will be born with a personality type and a type of needs, trying to change them is a mistake. You may want your son to pursue a university degree, to be a doctor, for example, but we must know how to attend to his inclinations. 

You have to give them freedom to choose, respect their limitations and also value their successes or successes. When you sanction any of their behaviors, don’t just look at what they did wrong, tell them how to do it right. Respect and a good education must play with both aspects: punish the negative but give opportunities for improvement.

Encourage his imagination whenever you can, give him learning opportunities, serve as a guide to teach him new things that he can be inspired by. Offer him freedom to find his way, making him understand that you will always give him your support no matter what he chooses.