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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A TAKE ON OUR CHILDREN'S SAFETY

A friend gave me a link about a touchy subject on parenting. It tackles about giving our children freedom to do things on their own---which would mean allowing them to go from one place to another unsupervised. Now I know it gives you the creeps just thinking about it but I'm asking you to read the article with an open mind and come back here and post what you think.

Stop worrying about your children!

I don't intend to make you do what the author said on the article. Like you, I am totally protective of my child, I live every second of the day thinking of ways to keep her safe but a part of me thinks some of the things laid down on the article is true. Are we too paranoid that we hinder our children from learning and experiencing life? Are our actions baseless? Are the media releases just exaggerrating things about children abduction? These are the things that come to mind.

What I would want to do instead is to teach my child of the potential dangers lurking on the streets (or anywhere for that matter) and arm her with precautions on what to do if she encounters one. I guess the term is, awareness. Let's not sugar coat the bad things that happen.
This way our children are prepared on what is really out there without us worrying too much and trust that they would do the right thing.

I myself was raised with all the freedom I could get. I didn't grow up spoiled and I guess I was always on the right track. My parents didn't just throw me out on the fire without fire proofing me. I was armed with long teachings of what's wrong and what's right and my parents just *crossed their fingers* hoped I do the right decision after that. It's a risk I know, but isn't life a big risk?

Bottomline, we are parents and we all want the best for our children. It's a learning process and it will be for the longest time. I'm a first time parent so I'm getting all the help I could from friends, from veteran parents and yes, online friends. :)

So, what do you think?