Tips For Raising Happy Children

John Rosemond’s tips on growing a happy child...
1. Have a more active relationship with your spouse than you have with your children.
2. Have an active life outside your mother/father role. Be an interesting person to your kids.
3. Expect your children to obey…calmly, as if for granted.
4. Expect your children to be responsible citizens of your family, to contribute by doing chores.
5. Teach your children that happiness is not a matter of how much you have, but how much you do with what you have.
6. Teach your children that two of the most fun things to do are reading and travel, both of which involve the accumulation of memories rather than things. Spend time, not money.
7. The happiest children are found in parks and playgrounds, not in front of TVs or video games.
8. Help your children develop hobbies, to exercise the imagination and creativity, without adult supervision.
9. Teach your children good manners…a demonstration of attentiveness to and respect for others. The happiest people are those who pay more attention to others than they want others to pay them.
10. Hold your children to high standards…show respect to your child by expecting of the child. Expect the best work your child is capable of, to pitch in without being asked. Hold your child accountable for their behavior…make no excuses, accept no excuses.

A recent Rosemond column. I'm posting it here to remind myself!