Parents have to do a lot to ensure their children are happy and healthy, but it’s all part of the job. We have to work out how to do it from the first moment they’re born. Wouldn’t it be lovely if it was as easy as just saying you need to work it out, and then it actually happens and you know precisely what to do? 

The truth is that that is not how it works, and it can take months or even years to get to a good place where you feel confident that you know what you’re doing (and even then, there will be times when you have questions). Luckily, we can help you make a good start because here are some useful parenting tips for a happy household – read on to find out more. 

Photo by Vlada Karpovich

Open Communication 

If you want to have a happy household – which means that not only are your kids happy, but you’re happy too, of course – then you’ll need to make sure you communicate openly and encourage your children to do the same. Make sure they know they can express their feelings and thoughts because you’ll be there to listen to them, no matter what they have to say, and you’ll help them, not judge them. 

They also need to learn to listen actively when you have something to express to them, and that’s a skill that’s going to help them in the future, both at school and at work – it can even help in the various relationships they’ll have in life. In the end, a child who’s not afraid to express themselves and communicate openly and honestly is a happier child. 

Have A Support Network

If you want a happy household, that can sometimes mean getting help and asking for some advice, assistance, or guidance from time to time when you need it. It might seem like the right thing to do to stay silent and pretend all is well, but that’s only going to end in upset for everyone involved, and that’s the opposite of what you want. 

Your support network can be your partner, friends and family, a therapist, a group of other parents, or perhaps even a specialised lawyer if you’re dealing with specific challenges like managing the effects of a brain injury at birth, for example. It’s your support network, so it can be whoever you want it to be, as long as you have one in place for those times when you need extra help and you shouldn’t try to go through it all alone. 

Be Apart And Together

Parents often feel they need to be with their children pretty much 24/7, and that’s probably because, at the start, that is the case. However, as they get older and more independent, it’s important to ensure they have their own space and spend some time apart, hanging out together, and doing family activities. 

Spending quality time together as a family is a great thing to do, and it’s certainly something that will strengthen bonds and make you and your family happy. Yet being apart can be just as wonderful, especially if you’re all doing things you want to do and you can come together to talk about those activities afterwards. What we’re saying is there will come a time when you have to let go a little (and eventually a lot), and it’s best to let that happen for everyone’s happiness.