Things parents can teach children and make their life happy and beautiful in the true sense of the term.

Become a good listener

Not us, but Dalai Lama once said, “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.” Listening carefully can increase the child’s patience and tolerance level, will also help them to tackle tough situations in a better manner.

Happiness on the priority list, not marks
Make your Child understand that success comes easy when there is inner peace. A stable mind makes it easy for you to keep calm, helps you concentrate and study better. Wisdom is what they should strive for, and not marks! You may find helpful what Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.”

Don’t be judgemental
Parents can ask their children to kindly step off the judgment treadmill and channel their thoughts to help others not criticize them. Teach them there is nothing right or wrong and everything is about perspective. Therefore, “Never judge someone until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.”

Sharing is caring

Don’t forget that nobody has become poor by giving. Sharing selflessly is very soul-satisfying and helping people in need is our social responsibility. Ask your child to share something every month to the people belonging from a disadvantaged background. Here is what Buddha said, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

Clothes don’t determine your personality
Teach your children not to get attracted by the physical appearance but their personality. If they want to go in a relationship, guide them about qualities they should be looking for in a partner. This will help them to make the right choices for themselves. Also, the brand and the price tag doesn’t make a person classy! A popular fashion model Lindsey Wixson said, “I dress myself not to impress, but for comfort and style.”

Turn crisis into opportunity

Crisis always brings opportunities. Tell your child to stay stable and look for possible solutions when they have to make tough choices. For every problem, there is a solution and one just needs to look in the right direction and follow the right path for themselves. Here is what Henry Ford said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

Cultivating positive thoughts
With chaos and negativity everywhere, it is easy to develop a series of negative thoughts whenever you are in a tough situation. Change the cycle and cultivate positive thoughts. You can ask your children to start their day by reading or learning something positive. This will become the foundation of the day. Remember Mark Twain’s words– “Whoever is Happy will make others happy too.”

Forgive and forget

Holding a grudge or keeping a grudge alive consumes too much energy. Why not advice your children to forget and forgive someone. It is easy to make peace with yourself, forgive yourself that expecting the world to change. Emotional intelligence will make them strong enough to fight and overcome difficult circumstances. Take a cue from Mahatma Gandhi’s kind words- “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”

Develop trust and bonding
Make your child understand not to give up their good qualities even if someone cheats or harm them. Ask them to gather their strength and value their positive qualities. This will protect them from picking up bad habits and make their bonding with another person better. Here is what Eric Sevareid said, “Better to trust the man who is frequently in error than the one who is never in doubt.”

Money management

Remember money can buy things and not happiness. Teach your child that you can be happy and earn money, not earn money to be happy. Happiness and money are not connected. Therefore, buy things if you need them and also save a small portion to help others. Donate and make someone else’s life beautiful. Christopher Rice once said, “Every day is a bank account, and time is our currency. No one is rich, no one is poor, we’ve got 24 hours each.”

Now if someone asks what you want your child to be in future? You know what to tell them – A better person!