Raise a Happy Child Part 2

 The second key element of raising a happy child is to create a sense of family community

“It’s important to build and maintain distinctive traditions that make each family special signify a child’s significance within his primary social group – his family,” says Grose. “Creating sense of community in your family and building traditions and rituals gives kids strong anchors back into family when they are older. “Rituals can be as simple as the way you habitually say to your child ‘I love you’ each day as he goes to school, or the way you always read their favourite book before they go to bed,” he says. “The permanence of these rituals give them much of their significance, they’re like ‘coat hooks upon which we hang our family memories’. Also try to focus more on what’s good for your family, rather than each individual family member, and start insisting that kids take an interest in each other, so the whole family benefits.” -Michael Grose

(the girl in polka dot dress and the girl in all white dress are wearing Flower Girl Dresses from Elitedresses)

How to develop rituals that bind your family together:

• Having regular family mealtimes is a simple but powerful ritual.
• Have a regular one-on-one activity that involves each child, something both of you can look forward to, such as a bedtime story or a weekly walk.
• Celebrate birthdays, Mother’s Day, Christmas (make sure to get your princesses a Girls Christmas Dress)or other religious festivals in your family’s own special way.
• Ask your children about the rituals, special occasions and celebrations that they most enjoy and let them contribute ideas on how to celebrate them.

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