http://afterscholl.

ae

The Science of Raising Happy Kids
The importance of
being nurturing
Kids with nurturing
moms have bigger
brains. A study found
that preschoolers with
nurturing, supportive
moms have a 10% larger
hippocampus (the part
of the brain that
handless stress and
memory) by the time
they get to school age.



Love from Dad matters
Oe stud foud that feelig loed Dad as ore iportat for kids elleig, happiess ad self
satisfaction than feeling loved by Mom.
The most effective Dads are:
1. Who listen to their kids.
2. Who have close relationship with their children.
3. Who set appropriate rules.
4. Who give freedom when it makes sense.

The dangers of rejection
When kids feel rejected or unloved b their parets, there ore likel to e hostile, aggressie ad
emotionally unstable.



http://afterscholl.ae

Your happiness matters
A os satisfatio ith her life is ore iportat to a oug hilds soial ad eotioal skills tha:
- Her education,
- Her income,
- Whether she has a job,
- The amount of time the kid spends in childcare.
Spend some time on yourself
1. Watch a funny movie.
2. Get dinner with a friend.
3. Do a mood boosting exercise.
4. Talk to someone who cares (about you).

The importance of optimism
Fill the glass half full Kids ho lear to e optiisti he there 12 years old are half as likely to
be depressed during puberty.
How do you react to problems? Even 5 yrs. Old can understand the benefits of positive thinking to help
them feel better. They get their sunny outlooks by watching how their parents react to problems.

Praise kids for effort, not brains
Children praised for their abilities or intelligence, rather than their efforts, has a harder time coping with
failure. But kids praised for their effort are more likely to enjoy challenging tasks and show more
motivation.

Skip the one-size-fits-all approach
Whe paretig stles aret suited to a hilds persoalit, the kid is tie as likel to e aious ot
depressed.
1. If your child is good at regulatig her o eotios ad atios, shell eed less struture ad
more autonomy from you.
2. If our hild is poor at regulatig her o eotios ad atios, shell eed ore struture ad
less autonomy.


http://afterscholl.ae

Kids are more resilient than we think
There are 80% of kids ho eperiee their parets separatio or diores dot go o to hae
psychological problems. Many kids whose parents maintain respectful communication and cooperation
to the best of their ability, they go on to achieve career and education goals, maintain family ties and
enjoy healthy intimate relationship.

Hoeer Take off the boxing gloes
How you argue matters. Compared to kids with less hostile parents, kids who grow up with parental
conflict:
1. Do worse in school.
2. Are more likely to drink and use drugs
3. Have poorer emotional well-being.

Kids want meaningful lives too
Even 8 yr. old kids are happier if they feel their lives have meaning.
Signs:
1. Do something kind for a friend or classmate.
2. Volunteer their time.
3. Plan an event for friends or family.
4. Joining a team or club they care about.

Encourage Generosity
Performing kind acts made pre-teens happier and better liked by their classmates too.
Simple kind of kindness:
1. Texts message a friend who is sad.
2. Share something of yours with your siblings.
3. Copliet a kid ou dot ko.
4. Spend time with an older family member.
Studies show that even toddlers are happier when giving treats to others than receiving treats. (And
there happier giig aa treats that elog to the tha idetial treats that dot!)

http://afterscholl.ae


Encourage kids to get physical
Playing sports on a team or just for fun makes kids happier and better behave. Feeling competent is the
seret. Tees ho thik there good at sport hae higher ell-being than kids who are actually are
good at it.
Get off the couch
Watching TV is linked to unhappiness. A 7-year study of over 4,000 teens found that those who watched
more TV were more likely to develop depressive symptoms, with the rate increasing 8% with every
additional hour of TV watched.

Countries with happy kids
I sure of oer 4, kids i outries: 9% of kids sa there happ ost or all of the tie.
In a study of 12 countries including U.S., U.K. and Canada, the happiest kids live in:
1. Mexico
2. Spain
3. Brazil
4. Germany
5. U.S.A.
6. At the bottom
7. At the bottom
8. At the bottom
9. At the bottom
10. At the bottom
11. Japan
12. Poland

What makes kids happy?
1. Family
2. Friends
3. Playing
4. Participating in sports and
5. Toys


http://afterscholl.ae