What Makes Your Child Happy?

Every parent wants their child to be happy. Everyhis personal integrity.
educator wants their students to love learning.In fact,Happiness comes from knowing that she belongs,
it is one of the driving desires that affects thethat she is deeply loved by the important people in
choices parents make regarding their child. Yet, howher life. It comes from knowing she is respected and
much do you know about what makes your child andvalued for who she is. In other words, your child's
students deeply happy and content?happiness depends on his emotional wholeness.
We act as if the secret to happiness is materialThis is why in all my work we focus exclusively on
possessions for both our children and ourselves. Wehow to nurture emotional wholeness in your child.
buy toys and designer clothes on their wish list, onlyChildren need love and respect from themselves
to find them tossed aside tomorrow or strung outmore than they need love and respect from us.
over their bedroom floor.Happiness comes from inner love and respect.
Other times parents and educators act as if sayingLove Joyously!
nice, encouraging things paves the road to happinessSo what's a parent or educator to do?
for children. Parents often put a lot of energy andMake your child's emotional wholeness one of your
effort into saying the "right" things to keep their childhighest priorities. Emotional well-being is more
happy.important than managing her behavior and making
Other times we act as if we believe activity is thesure she's doing the right things. It's emotional
key to happiness and joy for our children. We drivewell-being that lays the foundation for the great
them to classes and play dates, without reallybehavior and the wise choices.
noticing if our child is happy or not.When you nurture your child's emotional wholeness,
You may think your child is happy even though she ishe glows with joy and a feeling of certainty that is
struggling inside emotionally. What I've found is thatunmistakable to people around him. When you
our society we don't know a lot about emotionalnurture your child's emotional wholeness, power
wellness. Consequently, you may miss the clues yourstruggles, tantrums, defiance, depression, anxiety,
child gives you about how she really feels inside.and a host of other behavioral challenges become
Children pretend to be happy and smile even whenthings of the past.
that is not what they are feeling.When your child lives in a place of her emotional
Your child's happiness doesn't depend on materialwell-being, he flourishes and shines brightly. He
possessions, kind words from others, or specificradiates beauty, joy, and love from the inside out.
activities. His happiness comes from feeling certainThis is where it counts!
and clear in who he is and making choices that reflect