I don’t have children just yet, but one day soon I hope to start a family, be that through pregnancy or adoption I would be happy either way. In the meantime, I am blessed with nieces and nephews, godchildren, and lots of younger cousins, who I love spending time with. Spending time with so many little ones has made me nostalgic for my own childhood, and for years gone by when smartphones and the internet weren’t the be-all and end-all of children’s lives.

 

When  I have a family, I already have a few ideas about how I would like to raise them. I would like to give my kids the kind of childhood I was blessed to have.  It’s important to make sure your children grow up happy and well-grounded as it will help them grow into great people when they grow up. Spending time with your children and giving them the childhood they deserve will also help their mental health and overall happiness. 

 

Wondering how you can give your kids the most amazing childhood? Below are some tips and ideas taken from all of the amazing mumma’s that I know…

 

Put their happiness first

 

Your children’s happiness should always come first, regardless of what’s happening in your personal life. When I was a child, my parents got divorced; it was hard but they always put mine and my brother’s happiness ahead of their own, which made the situation easier to cope with.

 

Whatever may happen in your relationship, you should not let it have an effect on your children’s happiness, so making sure you put them first in adverse situations is key. So if you are having relationship issues, family trouble or you are just suffering mentally then try to think of your children’s happiness in these times. If you are going through a break up then keeping it amicable is best for the children, don’t let them see you fighting or being nasty to each other. 

 

If you are going through a tough time mentally or physically then try not to take it out on the children or worry them too much at that time. Kids can pick up on different things so it can be hard to keep things from them, so only choose to tell them things if you know they can deal with it and you are able to get through it without affecting them too much. 

 

Keep a good work-life balance

 

Making sure you are there for your children and putting them first is key to making them happy. If you are career committed and you don’t pay attention to your children and spend time with them then they will grow apart from you and can be more likely to lash out for attention.

 

Getting a good work-life balance can be hard as it depends on the job you have but your kids will see that you are trying, especially if you are spending time with them whenever you can. This is something I worry about for the future, as I work a lot and wouldn’t want to sacrifice time with my children because of my career.

 

It can be tiring coming home then having to deal with your children but that is what you signed up for when you had them. When you get home from work try to keep work at work so you are not bringing your baggage from work into the home.  

 

Take trips together

 

Taking trips together as a family no matter where will make your children happy. Spending time together and going on adventures away will really help your child flourish in life, not only will they be happy with you but it will help to educate your children by having them well-traveled.

 

Going away as a family doesn’t have to be expensive either if you can afford to go abroad then go abroad if you can’t then go within your means and go local or within your own country. The great thing about kids is they are excited by most things so it doesn’t really matter where you go with them they will have fun and enjoy it.

 

Growing up, my family always went on holiday in the UK. Our trips might have been a little wet and muddy at times and called for a kids waterproof jacket and a pair of wellies, but we always had the best time. Family time isn’t about spending lots, it’s about spending quality time together, having fun.

 

Try to be an outdoors family

 

When you do go on trips or days out then try and make it an outdoor activity where possible. Getting children out the house these days with all the technology they have around is hard so when you get the opportunity to get them out of the house and active take it. You can do this by taking them camping when you go on holidays, that way they are always outdoors and don’t have the option to just sit there infront of the tele.

 

If you are at home take them out for walks with the dog or if you don’t have a dog find a walk near you that you can go on. Alot of places are now getting bike trails as well so you can hire or take your own bikes and ride trails through the countryside or woodlands. Also if your children have a hobby you can all do together like playing sports or fishing, you can make a day of it and all do it together, that way the children are happy doing something they love.

 

Teach them constantly

 

Although kids would make it seem they do not like to learn it is just the fact of having to school that gets them down. Kids love to learn new things and if you can make it fun at the same time you are on to a winner. School is there to teach them their maths, English, and science so the lessons you want to teach them will be practical.

 

You can bake and cook with them so they have a practical skill to use when they fly the nest, also it is fun at the same time especially baking as they love treats. You could also teach them different arts and crafts to, so you can do pottery painting or something like that, which isn’t really done in schools. As well as teaching them practical lessons, making sure they grow up with life lessons is a great way to ensure they go through their childhood being polite and gaining a huge advantage when they finally reach adulthood.

 

Encourage them to make friends

 

Some children can make friends really easily and others need a little push, but putting them in a scenario where they can meet friends is usually down to you especially when they are younger. To help them meet new people encourage them to take up a hobby and extracurricular activities. This will have them meeting other children their age and increase their chance of making friends. Other activities you can get them into is different clubs whether that be linked to the school or outside of school, things like athletics or brownies and cubs all these clubs have age groups so it is easy for them to meet children there age. If your child is shy and doesn’t want to go out and make friends you don’t have to force them as long as they are happy otherwise you risk pushing them away. Some children who came and play online games will have friends they have met online, this can be worrying for some parents as you don’t know who they are unless they are school friends so it is something to monitor and keep an eye on.

 

There you have it, a few tips from mum’s about the best ways to make your kids’ childhood as amazing as possible.