When it comes to the health and happiness of your kids, you surely will go to an extra yard to make sure that they remain so. After all, which family doesn’t want happy and cheerful kids? The logic is pretty clear – the happier your children are the more positive values they inculcate in the course of their adulthood, and finally the more successful they will become.

A 2010 study conducted by Duke University Medical School confirms that children with very affectionate and attentive parents grow up to be happier, more resilient and less anxious adults. An another study by the University of Notre Dame shows that kids that receive enough affection from their parents become happier as adults. Thus, enough research data is available today to know why happy and healthy kids are the topmost priority of their parents.

So how are you planning to raise your kids? Following are some of the proven tips:

1- Create a happy atmosphere

To begin with, being parents, you have the responsibility as well as opportunity to create an atmosphere at your home where your kids feel safe and loved. Home is the very first place where your children learn important values and behaviors at an early age; so it is pertinent on your part to create a positive atmosphere and encourage communication as much as possible. Your home must be filled with an environment where everyone feels respected and each person’s individuality is celebrated. According to Bob Murray, the author of Raising an Optimistic Child: A Proven Plan for Depression-Proofing Young Children -- for Life, “happy, optimistic children are the product of happy, optimistic homes, regardless of genetic makeup”.

2- Foster connections

In order to promote your children’s lifelong emotional well-being, you need to make sure that they feel connected to family and friends. A connected childhood is the key to happiness. As a matter of fact, when your kids feel loved, understood, wanted and acknowledged, they develop a sense of confidence and optimism in them. Such a state of being protects children against emotional distress, suicidal thoughts and other risky behaviors. So engage your kids as much as possible, respond with empathy to their issues; read aloud to them; eat, snuggle and laugh together. The quality as well as quantity of bonds is equally important; that is, the more connection your children make the better.

3- Teach them to build relationships

Relationships help children discover who they are and understand others as well. Through relationships, kids approach the world with openness and enthusiasm, and they grow to be happy, responsive and caring people. You need to encourage your children to express their feelings in appropriate ways; also to recognize how others feel. Teach your kids acceptable ways to vent anger and tell them to respond rather than react. When you respect your children’s feelings, it helps them trust their own instincts, which in turn makes them respect others which is an important element in any relationships.

4- Let them play without instructions

You should allow your kids to explore, manipulate and experiment on their own so that they can figure out the world around them. An unstructured playtime helps kids create their own fun. The truth is today kids are overwhelmed and are in awe of toys that essentially do the playing for them. While as parents you need to instill discipline in your kids, but playtime is innate to them. So let them play and enjoy without instructions. More than that just take a look at their schedule and find time where they can just play each day on their own. This will help them create their own happiness.

5- Celebrate every moment with them

Your children are more likely to pick energy and enthusiasm that you impart to them. So to instill happiness and cheerfulness in your kids, you need to tell them celebrate and cherish every moment; create beautiful memories for life; and take care of others’ happiness as well. Whether it is their birthdays or little achievements, you should make these moments even more special by giving them their favorite gifts. You can get help from online companies such as iCustomlabel to create attractive labels for various usual chores such as notebooks, water bottles and toys. When you love and support your kids’ emotions, they become sensible and happy individuals in future.

6- Take them outdoors often

In this age of Xbox, Nintendos and other online games, getting in touch with nature is increasingly being forgotten. You must therefore ensure that your kids enjoy the outdoors more often than not. Many studies converge on the fact that kids who explore the nature are smarter, happier, more attentive, and less anxious that kids who stay time indoors. When you take your kids outside, they become more creative and imaginative. There are many ways to interact with outdoor environments, from your community park to the local hiking trail or lake. This connection to nature stimulates an emotional well-being in your children.

7- Recognize and encourage their talents

No career is better than the one that is built on the foundation of hobbies, interests and talents. That is why, you need to recognize and nurture your kids’ talents. So in order to nurture their natural skills, you need to take notice of the things your kids choose to do when they don’t have to please anyone. Whenever your children enjoy performing certain activities, you should appreciate them while they do so. The key is to let your children explore different angles of an activity and to watch for what really grabs their attention.