Raising happy, successful kids is a huge challenge. Parenting is a real rollercoaster, one of the most daunting and rewarding journeys a human being can experience! One thing many parents worry about is how to prepare their children for a healthy, successful life as they grow up. Here are three important behaviours that will prepare young children for a happy life and future success.

Teach Them to Care for their Bodies

Encourage your kids to develop healthy habits and good hygiene from a young age. Show them how good daily habits can help them feel happier and healthier. Just like they need to keep their room tidy and look after their favourite toys, they also need to keep their body clean and give it the care it needs. Washing hands, brushing teeth, bathing, wearing clean clothes and choosing healthy foods are just a few examples.

Set a good example by taking care of your own physical health. Show your kids that healthy recipes can be tasty and exercise can be fun. Get your annual flu shot to protect yourself against infections; and if you get sick, go to the family doctor rather than ignoring your symptoms and trying to “power through”. Your children will learn from your positive examples and imitate them as they get older.

Nurture their Emotional Health

Show your little ones that they are loved and valued, through your actions as well as your words. Encourage them to speak up about how they’re feeling, and take those feelings seriously. Often the things that seem trivial to us as grown ups are a really big deal to kids.

Striking a healthy balance here can be tricky. It’s important to encourage your children to solve problems on their own and eventually become independent; but you also need to let them know that they can turn to you for advice, or for help in solving a problem that feels too big to tackle alone.

Prepare Them for a Financially Sound Future

Financial health is so important and all too often overlooked. Teach your children the true value of money, and encourage them to develop a strong work ethic.

  • Allow them to earn pocket money in return for chores
  • Live within your means as a family
  • Teach them to save towards the things they want
  • Help them start a piggy bank when they’re little, then open a kids’ savings account when they’re older
  • Show them how to draw up a budget, and let them help out when you make up the household budget

If you make savings fun and show them the rewards of being smart about money, this will stand them in good stead to be financially responsible as adults.

Raising successful kids is hard work, but it’s worth it to see your little ones grow up into strong, happy and well-balanced adults.

Sources

Kaplan-Freiman, Cyndi & Wise, Susie. 2001. The pocket therapist. Simon & Schuster.
https://books.google.co.za/books/about/The_Pocket_Therapist.html?id=dhVsAAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y

15 Healthy Habits you can Teach your Kids. Retrieved from: https://www.healthymummy.com/15-healthy-habits-can-teach-kids/