Children love to be happy, in fact they spend the majority of their time exploring and doing things that make them feel joyful. Seeing their happiness brings a smile on our face. Often, it reminds us to loosen up and have fun once in a while. As children grow up, they slowly begin to realize that life is not just about sunshine and roses, there are struggles as well. Life will have moments of pain and sadness which can affect their thought process and the way they experience the world around them. Thus, it’s important to prepare them for this part of the journey as well. As adults, what are the few things we can help children to learn about happiness?
- Happiness is not a Permanent State: It is important to help them to understand this fact. There will be situations and circumstances that can make them feel disappointed, hurt and upset. It’s part of being alive and experiencing life as it is. This does not mean that they should expect for things to go wrong, rather, there are chances that they might. The important thing is to enable them to be prepared for it. The preparation might be a mental one, helping them to not be defined by these disappointments. As happiness is not a permanent state, disappointments are not as well. What matters is how you face them and the lessons we grasp from each of these experiences, in order to make our lives better.
- It’s Okay to be Sad: Although happiness was the primary sought emotion as a child, it doesn’t have to be the only one. It’s alright to feel and experience sadness. It’s essential to teach children that they don’t have to force or push themselves to be happy all the time, rather help them to understand that all emotions are necessary and important. They play a key role in helping us to understand who we are. Emotions are messengers from the mind to inform us about the things that we need to pay attention to. The emotion of sadness is to help us understand that they are certain things that we need to take care of or address either internally or externally. This understanding becomes our responsibility to pass on to the children in their journey of self development. Let no child grow up having to bear the burden of responsibility to be happy all the time.
- Do Not Rely Happiness on External Things: Children tend to hang on to things or objects that make them feel excited. Often, they carry them along wherever they go, slowly creating a deep connection with them. This deep connection at times becomes a part of their identity as well. I remember being in love with superheroes as a child, as a result everything I bought or asked for had a superhero in it. Be it books, bags or any other stationary items. I seemed to have connected well with them. Similarly, children make connections on emotions as well. They analyze and attach different emotions with different things or persons. As they begin to make these connections, it’s important to ensure they don’t depend on materialistic things for their happiness. Help them to find happiness in the things that they choose to do. Encourage them to develop hobbies or passions that will give them joy and contentment. This will change their perspective about happiness from something to be chased to something that can be found, even in small things. Remember, happiness is only a consequence of what we choose to do and spend time on.
