Raising and educating your children better, easier said than done! The parenting profession can be quite difficult and there is always a lot to learn. Have you ever wondered which habits and rules our children should never lack for a healthy and peaceful development? Let's try to answer ...
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
To grow up and educate your children better, easier said than done! The parenting profession can be quite difficult and there is always a lot to learn. Have you ever wondered which habits and rules our children should never lack for a healthy and peaceful development? Let's try to answer ...
All mothers and fathers sooner or later ask themselves the fateful question: am I doing well? Will the habits and routines I am offering my children actually serve to form balanced adults ready to face the world? It is not always easy to understand the right thing to do and how to adjust the shot in some situations. Then we are often frightened by the possible judgments that people close or not to the family may have about our work.
It is important to first be aware that, indeed, parents have a great opportunity to lay the right foundation for their children in order to make them grow up calm, happy and able to face the challenges of life. The foundations of important gifts such as generosity, responsibility, kindness, empathy and ethics develop during the first years of a child's life.
So here are 13 things our children badly need to become healthy, responsible and empathetic adults.
Index
Confini
It is difficult to set boundaries for children and stick to what is set. This is especially true when the little ones express their grievance by pushing back, screaming, threatening, etc. Depending on the boundary that is placed, it can take a long time for a child to willingly accept it. Eventually, however, slowly, if you keep the point correctly, the child will be able to find a way to satisfy her needs in an alternative way. The world we live in is a chaotic and confusing place, the right boundaries help children to thrive.
Routine
While it is important that children are stimulated with new activities to foster learning and empathy, it is also essential to create routines. Knowing what awaits them during meals, in the morning, at bedtime, etc. it can help little ones feel more confident and relieved. Even if you have children who are firm and resolute, the routines will allow them to feel a sense of control over the situation.
Go to bed early
Sleep is a building block for healthy brain development. It helps us process the events of the day and learn from them. The brains of children are constantly developing and creating new neural connections, which is precisely why it is essential to sleep and for a number of hours sufficient to feed these connections. Between the various activities and homework, you risk sending the children to bed too late. Therefore, what can be done to improve their health, their behavior and their general well-being, is to help them better satisfy the need for rest.
Empathy
What do children really need to be happy and successful? The answer is surprising: empathy. This is the characteristic that allows us to "walk in another person's shoes". Research shows that empathy plays an important role in predicting children's happiness and success. It is a feeling that we have innate within us but that must be cultivated. Empathy promotes kindness, pro-social behaviors and is an effective antidote to bullying, prejudice and racism.
Abbracci
There is a saying from Virginia Satir, a family therapist, “We need 4 hugs a day to survive. Of 8 hugs a day to support us. Of 12 hugs a day to grow ". Hugging allows the release of oxytocin, the love hormone, which has several beneficial effects on our body including the power to stimulate growth. Basically, when oxytocin increases, several growth hormones, such as growth factor (IGF-1) and nerve growth factor (NGF), also increase. Therefore, simple hugs can help the healthy growth of children.
Playful parents
Parents often have responsibilities and problems but they should still reserve the right space in their lives for play and fun. Our days are full of commitments and, even if sometimes we don't realize it, we are detached towards our children. Play is the work of children and to better connect with them we must share this activity whenever we have the opportunity.
Outdoor time
As Meryl Davids Landau, author of Enlightened Parents, wrote: “Movement through active free play, especially outdoors, improves everything from creativity to academic success to emotional stability. Children who do not have the opportunity to do this can have so many problems: from difficulty regulating their emotions - for example, crying to the fall of a hat - to problems holding a pencil or touching other children using too much force ”.
Helping around the house
While it may seem difficult at first, persisting in enticing the little ones to help around the house (according to their age and ability) is a decidedly positive experience. Research indicates that children involved in household activities have higher self-esteem, are more responsible and are better able to cope with frustration, which contributes to greater success in school.
Time limits for pc and tv
In order for the neuronal networks of the brain to develop at their best, the child needs stimuli that come from the external environment. These, unfortunately, are not the ones that come from tablet screens or TV. When children spend too much time in front of a screen and don't get enough real-world stimulation, their development is at risk.
Experiences, not things
Sometimes we don't realize that children need meaningful experiences more than asking for a lot of things. When they grow up they won't remember what they had but what they did: sand castles, trips to the lake, picnics in the park, runs with parents, etc. Remember that the best experiences in life cost little or nothing, what children really need is quality time spent with their parents.
Slowness
Adults usually run busy, while children need slower rhythms. Adults should take some time to watch their children play, do their homework, or eat a snack. That simple pause, even if momentary, can help change the pace of the whole family with beneficial effects for young and old.
To read
One of the most important things parents can do to raise healthy, confident and happy children is to read to them daily. They can start as early as they are babies and unable to speak, continuing even when they would be able to read on their own. Several studies show that early reading helps children learn to speak, interact, bond with other people, learn more about the world around them and be empathetic citizens.
Music
Science has shown that when children learn to play an instrument, their brains begin to hear and process sounds that they otherwise would not have the opportunity to hear. This helps them develop a "neurophysiological distinction" between certain sounds that can aid in literacy. This often results in better academic results.
How many of these things do you do with your children?
Read also:
- 8 secrets to raising happy children
- Montessori method: 10 principles for educating happy children
- 10 tips for raising happy and kind children to the world (#unamammagreen)
- We teach children about happiness, not perfection
