how to raise your baby to be a happy baby

One of the most rewarding parts of parenthood is watching your child be happy and achieve what they want. However, parents sometimes notice that their children end up having a pessimistic and negative outlook on life. It’s hard to see your own child have low expectations from the world and people around them. How do you prevent this from happening to your little one? There are some things that you might be doing, which end up influencing your child’s outlook on life, and you probably don’t realise it.

However, there are a few things you can do to ensure, to the best of your ability, that you are raising your child to be optimistic.

1. Silver linings

Whenever something bad happens, either to you or your child, focus on the silver lining. This will help your little one see the positives of the situation that he/she is in. Seeing you being positive will be a model of optimistic behaviour for him/her. Teach them how to find the positivity even when the situation looks bleak. This will also help them deal with problems more efficiently, and in the future, lead to more positivity and optimism. For example, if it’s raining and your kid can’t go out and play, you could suggest something like how they will be able to jump in puddles later or be able to float some paper boats in the water.

2. No Complaints

Don’t let your child hear you complaining. Complaining in itself emits a lot of negativity. When your child hears you complaining about something, their outlook towards the situation becomes more pessimistic and bleak. Your little one will also learn this behaviour and will be likely to focus on the negatives and complaints rather than the positives.

3. Success

Give your kids small tasks that will pose a challenge, but which they will be able to accomplish. This will give them a sense of achievement, which can be increased by praises on your part for a job well done. Make them feel good about their achievements. This will encourage them to engage in work and not get demotivated by it. The praises also serve as a reward, leading to positive responses.

4. Confidence

Allow your child the freedom to play and engage in activities on their own. This will enable him/her to become creative. Allowing them this freedom will also encourage them to take up more initiatives in the future, especially if their activities yield pleasurable and favourable results for them. Encouraging their play is one type of reinforcement that will lead to this because it makes them feel a sense of achievement, which also increases their self esteem, therefore making them more optimistic.

5. Keep the stress away

Try to keep your child away from unnecessary stressors in your life. such as financial troubles and health issues, until they reach an age where they are able to cope with them. If they are faced with these problems too early on in life, where they don’t understand what is happening or why it is happening, it may make them view the world negatively. Keeping them away from these factors can help prevent this negative world view.

6. Problems

When your little one has problems, listen to him/her empathetically and offer them solutions. Show your little one that these problems can be solved even if they feel the problem is major. Try to change his/her perspective on the problem. If he/she thinks they can’t do something, tell them that if they keep trying and practicing and learning, they will be able to do it. Teach your child to never lose hope.