As a parent, you will always want your children to feel happy and safe and your goal will be to raise them in a way that that they get the best start in life as well as encouraging them to have a positive outlook on life.

Parenting can definitely be challenging at times but if you want to do your best to ensure that your kids look back on their childhood with happy memories and feelings there are a few simple but effective things you can do to make that happen.

Sometimes, it is the little touches like creating a play area for them filled with bean bags from Comfy Sacks and toys and games that encourage them to enjoy their playtime, also, it can be the way you interact with them and lead by example that can make the difference too.

Here are some ideas to help you raise happy kids.

Take a look at yourself

A good starting point in your quest to raise happy children would be to carry out an honest appraisal of your own levels of happiness.

You can find plenty of articles that point to emotional problems in children originating from witnessing their parents struggling to cope with their emotions.

Being unhappy doesn’t make you a bad parent, for sure, but if you can become a happier person and learn to enjoy your own life more, this will almost certainly inspire your kids to emulate these positive emotions.

Support each other as a family

If you think back to your own happy childhood memories there is a fair chance that family celebrations and special events will feature heavily as special moments that made you smile.

Learn to celebrate the big and little things that happen in your lives and this should bring you all closer and keep you all happy as a result of the love and support you are giving each other.

Make time for them

Modern life can be very stressful and there never seem to be enough hours in the day, however, it always pays to try and make time to give your child some of your undivided attention when they want to talk to you.

If you focus on them, even for a few minutes, that level of engagement will encourage your children to be more outward and happy.

All eat together

At the heart of almost every happy and close family is a regular habit of sitting down together and enjoying a meal in each other’s company.

The chance to discuss family matters and anything going on in the world over a meal is a great opportunity for bonding and it is no coincidence that families who always make the time and effort to dine together at the end of the day tend to produce kids who enjoy greater self-confidence.

Rules are good

Setting reasonable boundaries for your children is an essential practice and if you explain why you are setting these rules they should understand and appreciate the reasons for doing so.

As long as you are sensible with these rules, kids often like to know where they stand in terms of what they can and can’t do.

Have a healthy respect for each other and understanding there are boundaries should make your child more relaxed and happy because their home life has a structure.

We all need the right amount of sleep

If there is one no-brainer parenting tip to take on board it is to ensure that your child gets enough regular sleep each week.

Bedtime can often be a challenge but none of us can function properly without enough sleep and your children need that good sleep to help them keep their health and emotions on track.

Get them outside regularly

Your kids will grow up with technology in their lives and it is far too easy for them to spend a lot of hours each day staring at some sort of screen. That’s not to say that things like video games are all bad; they can teach communication, strategy and even problem-solving (whether they do this themselves or with the help of this site which helps players work out the best weapon for insight runeword in Diablo 2, for example), which are all valuable skills for kids to learn.However, in order to allow them to develop their social skills and ensure they enjoy good mental health, it’s a good idea to limit your kid’s screen time to a sensible number of hours and encourage them to go outside and enjoy some outdoor activities as part of their weekly routine.

Indulge them in sports like Skateboarding

Skateboards scream fun. It can offer an insurmountable amount of adrenaline rush. Skateparks also facilitate a feeling of belonging among kids as they can connect with people who share a similar passion. Your child will get the opportunity to interact with children from other communities. This will help them develop acceptance and tolerance, especially when they meet other skaters of different genders and races. If you want to instill a sense of courage in your kid, then this sport can be a great choice too. In the initial days of your child skating, it would be pretty usual for them to be scared. There may be afraid of falling and getting injured even though they might be wearing the best skateboard helmet, elbow pads, wrist guards, and knee pads. The irrational fear can be caused if your kids are scared of others laughing at them. However, with the right motivation and support, your child will soon learn to let go of any fear. They would not let anything be an obstacle in front of their target.

Let them learn to choose

It doesn’t do any harm to allow your children to make some of their own choices with certain activities or things they want to do.

For example, if you encourage your child to decide for themselves which extra activities they would like to do after school rather than forcing something on them that you think they should do, they are more likely to enjoy it and stick with it too.

Generosity breeds happiness

Doing a kind deed for someone often feels good and there are so many ways you can demonstrate generosity besides giving money.

Helping friends and family or doing something in the local community has a definite feelgood factor about it and if there is something that you can all get involved with as a family, such as litter picking in the community, for instance, you could all benefit.

Encourage your children to develop a generous spirit and there is a fair chance that they will have a happy and positive outlook on life as they grow up.

A calm voice is always better

Let’s not pretend, kids can sometimes push the boundaries and their behavior can get you angry and upset at times, but its best to try and avoid the kneejerk reaction of shouting at them if possible.

Children who are exposed to this level of hostility, however well-meaning it is, can often feel anxious and insecure.

Try to gather your thoughts before responding to a situation and if you can find a way to speak to them calmly about their actions or behavior it should help them cope better with their emotions and remain happy rather than anxious, in general.

There is no perfect-parent manual to follow as we are all different and so are our kids, but follow some of these simple family rules and you could improve your chances of successfully raising a happy child.