Childhood Relationships are Key to Happiness

Say What? by Artist  June Dudley

Dr. Hallowell, father of three and a clinical psychiatrist, outlines a five-step plan for promoting successful learning and lifelong joy that parents, teachers and all others who care about children can use to give children the gift of happiness that will last a lifetime.  The five  fundamental key concepts to raise children with healthy self-esteem, moral awareness and spiritual values are as follows:  Connect, Play, Practice, Mastery and Recognition. Based on current research, as well as his own experiences as a parent, teacher, and child psychiatrist, Dr. Hallowell discusses how one step leads to the next and how the cycle is self-perpetuated.  In his book, The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness:  Five Steps to Help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy, he explains how these five key qualities can greatly increase a child's chances of leading a joyful and meaningful life.Of interest to anyone interested in happiness or children, this book points out what really matters in childhood, and what doesn't, while offering some practical information on how to make the most of the most precious years of life.


Connect  Feeling rooted gives children a foundation of security.  Children need unconditional love from one or both parents and benefit when they have close ties to their extended family, feel part of their school, and help care for pets.


Play Make sure your child's /student's free time isn't too programmed and regimented.  Open-ended play, in which children can invent scenarios and solve problems by themselves, helps them discover their talents and use their own resources.


Practice When kids find out what they're good at, they'll want to do it again and again.  But sometimes you may have to do some gentle nudging to ensure that your child / student sticks to an activity and experiences a sense of accomplishment.


Mastery From practice comes mastery.  When children achieve a skill - whether it's learning to tie their shoes, play and piano, draw a flower, complete a math problem, or build a birdhouse - they're further motivated to tackle new challenges.  And that leads to a can-do attitude.


Recognition Approval and support from one's parents, teachers, and peers for a job well done reconnect children to the wider world.  When kids think what they do affects their family, classmates, and team, they're more likely to exhibit moral behavior and, ultimately, to feel good about themselves.


Fortunately, one step leads naturally to the next.
Note: Other topics on this basic theme can also be created.


Reference
Hallowell, E. (2003).  The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness:  Five Steps to Help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy.  New York:  Ballantine Books.