Tips for Raising Happy and Normal Kids

Did you ever think, as a parent, one of your biggest goals in raising your child was not to screw up your kid, and raise a happy and normal child? Then of course you pick them up for the first time and that goes right out the window.

Maybe it's not quite that bad, but there is so much we do and say which imprints upon our children. From the little things like the way a Father pronounces a word to the way Mom raises her voice at certain times. There are also the big things like how we handle and react to stressful situations and other circumstances. However, this is usually where the debate over environment and heredity comes into play; I do feel that the environment in which a child is raised is a huge contributing factor in regards as to how they turn out later on in life.

As mentioned before, how does the family, overall, deal with stress. If it is not good there is a better than average chance that the child will not deal or cope well either. Is home a happy place or a place filled with anger and loud voices? Whether good or bad, happy or sad, it all impacts the children in the house. Remember, children are little sponges who soak up and absorb even the little things we, as adults, hope they didn't hear. You usually find out that they did from the Sunday school teacher after class.

Many times the result of parental arguing, problems, and other negative factors play themselves out with children in some predictable and obvious ways and some which are not so obvious or predictable. For instance, a family which is torn apart by a bitter divorce can leave children feeling helpless or to blame. The child turns inward and can begin to have anger issues with no means of release, which leads to problems at school and with other children. Children can become painfully shy and reserved unable to participate in even the simplest activities around others. Then there is the child who eats to mask the pain. The obsession with eating turns into unhealthy weight gain and leads to many health problems.