International Day of Happiness: 7 Simple Ways to Help your Child Feel Happier
Happiness is a super important part of child development and growing up. As parents, you want your children to feel happy as much as possible. But, what actually makes children happy?
With International Happiness Day just around the corner, at Premier Education, we decided to look at 7 simple ways to help your child feel happier and improve their overall wellbeing.
What is The International Day of Happiness?
International Day of Happiness is celebrated on the 20th of March and is all about recognising the importance of keeping our children as happy as they can be and teaching them positive skills that they can take all the way into adulthood. It’s a day to reflect on what makes us truly happy and to encourage spreading joy to others.
At Premier Education, we pride ourselves on being able to create spaces where children can thrive; whether it’s through our active sports clubs, our fun-filled holiday camps or curricular-based activities such as PE, performing arts and more. But happiness doesn’t have to stop there! Let’s take a look at how you can increase your children’s happiness and well-being.
How to encourage a happy childhood
1. Keep your kids active
Exercise is known to release feel-good hormones called endorphins that help increase happiness in children and adults. Being physically active also helps children improve their focus, and burn off energy- this means they won’t be bouncing off your walls at home! It also helps boost confidence and helps children sleep better at night.
At Premier Education, our dedicated Activity Professionals get to see just how much happiness children get from moving their bodies and staying active. Whether they’re trying out gymnastics during the school day, fencing, or football clubs, staying active is the best way to keep your kids smiling.
It’s worth mentioning that not every child enjoys sports, and that’s okay! You can always try exploring other activities such as dancing, or even going out for a nice family walk and getting some fresh air.
2. Help them build friendships
Spending time with friends or family can help children develop a sense of belonging and teach them important socialising skills and teamwork that are essential for sustainable development as well as their overall wellbeing.
Our holiday camps and after-school clubs are a great place for children to meet new friends in a fun, safe, and supportive environment. Organising weekend or afterschool playdates with their friends or encouraging your kids to join local clubs can also make a world of difference!
3. Celebrate their achievements
Celebrating your kids’ achievements is extremely important for their self-development and mental wellbeing overall. Whether they have helped out at home, tidied their room or scored a goal at football practice, recognising their wins, no matter how big or small, can really boost their happiness.
Praising the hard work that they put into a task teaches them resilience and helps them feel proud of trying their best, no matter the outcome.
4. Encourage a positive attitude
We all get frustrated when things don’t go our way, but what is important is to teach children that it’s okay to make mistakes and that every failure is a chance to learn something new and to try again.
At Premier Education, we encourage kids to try new activities and see challenges as opportunities.
5. Support their interests
Whether your little ones like playing an instrument, drawing, or learning about their favourite sport, paying attention to their interests and nurturing them is extremely important for their development and can also bring them a lot of joy.
At Premier Education, we offer a variety of activities to suit different interests—but it’s also important to support their hobbies at home. Set aside time for your child to explore their passions, and show interest in what excites them.
6. Teach them how to relax
While we love seeing kids stay active, it’s equally important to encourage downtime.
It’s not just adults that can experience stress, children can also be affected – especially with the demands of school, exams, and keeping up with extracurricular activities. Teaching them how to relax is important for reducing their stress and unwinding.
We recommend teaching them breathing techniques or even doing a range of relaxing activities such as reading or drawing to help them recharge and get ready for the next school day.
7. Be a positive role model
Your little one can learn a lot from watching other adults, including yourself. If you show your children how to be positive and happy, they are likely to replicate this behaviour.
Tell them all about what makes you happy and let them see how to overcome challenges with a positive attitude. You can even tell them about the good parts of your day and how you handled something at work that wasn’t so great.
By incorporating these seven small tips into your routine, you can help improve your child’s overall well-being and ensure that they have a happy childhood- something that every child deserves.
At Premier Education, we’re here to help children grow, thrive, and find joy in every step of their journey into adulthood. Explore our knowledge hub for more tips, or check out our activity programmes to see how we can help to keep your kids happy!
