Did you know that happy memories take longer to fade away compared to sad or negative memories? That's actually one of the reasons why whenever you reminisce to when you were younger, everything seemed so nice and wonderful; that's your brain making sure to remember the happiest moments of your life.
So when it comes to your kids, it's very important for you to make sure that they have a lot of happy memories that they can look back on when they're all grown up. This is it's important to make sure that your kids have a happy childhood since it's vital to their growth and development.
Happiness helps a child's brain develop
Researchers have discovered that a child who had a nurturing, caring, and happy childhood can develop a larger hippocampus, the region of the brain that deals with memory, learning, as well as coping with stress.
This is why kids need all of the love, support, and happiness that parents can provide them. You don't have to be rich in order to provide happiness to your kids, being a loving parent, supporting their interests, and always being a rock that they can lean on will help make their childhood a happy and memorable one.
Additionally, when it comes to satisfaction later in life, Professor Richard Layard, a 'happiness expert' from the UK, found that among adults, having a happy childhood greatly contributed to feelings of success later on in life, more so than academic accomplishments, money, or success in their work.
Your child needs you to be there
So instead of trying to focus on the material needs that your child might have, it's important for parents to focus more on giving their child meaningful experiences with them. A child that has happy memories with their parents grows up to be well adjusted and can better cope with stress later on in life. They also grow up to be more resilient in the face of failure, and they grow up to be more successful.
While it's true that you can never give your child a completely happy childhood, as parents, it's your job to make sure that even if there are some moments in your child's life wherein they feel down or sad, you make up for those sad moments with happy ones. Spend more time with your kids, go on a roadtrip, go to an amazing vacation.
Instead of buying them a new toy, why not take them to the theme park instead? Children cherish memories more than material objects, and these memories help build up their personality and character later in life.
Making your child feel loved is by far the best thing that you can do to make them happy, so make it a point to show your child how much you love him or her. Give them a nice warm hug, and tell them that having them in your life makes you feel happy, and makes everything worthwhile. Rearing a happy child also goes both ways, and you'll be delighted to find that a happy child can make your life as a parent that much better.
Source: kidspot.com.au
READ: Spending money on vacations instead of toys is better for your kids!
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