Raising children is an experience— one that parents want to go well for both them and their kids. Think about it—what parent doesn’t want their child to do well, be happy, and live a full life. But that isn’t as easy as it sounds, and it comes with a lot of twists, turns, and learning moments along the way. Though there’s no exact science, there are some behaviors that are known to help your child develop into that happy and healthy grown-up. Learn more about how to raise children who turn into well-rounded adults below!
Focus on Different Activities for Development
There are so many ways to promote your child’s development, and doing so is important! One way is to focus on different activities with your child. Here are a few examples: You can play games with your child, provide plenty of playtime, talk about feelings, and even delve into some emotion flashcards. There are tons of developmental activities out there—do some research and discover how they can help your child flourish.
Encourage Participation in a Variety of Activities
Similarly, encourage participation in various activities that don’t include you. For example, the more extracurriculars you let your child participate in, the more willing they’ll be to try new things as they age. The more able they are to know different things, try different things, and experience different things, the more well-rounded they’ll be in the future. If they want to dance, paint, be a part of the math club, and play basketball—let them!
Set Screen Time Boundaries
One of the big issues a lot of parents are dealing with is too much screen time. Too much screen time has been linked to behavioral issues, irregular sleep patterns, and so much more. The sooner you set boundaries, the sooner you can help your child to focus in on activities that will spur their behavioral development. It’s also imperative that you do the same—if you set boundaries for them, then you must also set boundaries for yourself.
Be a Good Role Model
In that same vein, when you try to implement good behaviors in your own life, then your child will follow suit. If they see you participating in positive activities, then they’ll feel inclined to follow suit—especially when it comes to moments of generosity and empathy. If they see you giving and being compassionate, then they’ll be more encouraged to do it themselves.
Reinforce Positive Behavior
Another way to raise children who turn into well-rounded adults addresses how you react when you see positive behavior. If you see them give their toy to another child, praise them for sharing. The idea is that you reward good behaviors, but that doesn’t mean you should praise them every time they do anything right. Instead, be a bit choosier about what behaviors and qualities you do reinforce—we recommend keying in on things like creativity, independence, hard work, generosity, and thoughtfulness. Those traits that you believe make an adult “well-rounded” are the qualities you should praise when your child succeeds.
