5 No-Brainer Ways To Positively Impact The World Around Your Precious Kids

There’s nothing more important to parents than to do everything in their power to keep their children safe, protected and loved.

These days particularly, there’s so much out there to try your best to shield them from – whether it’s bullying at school, bullying online, social media and the minefield it is, or even them walking around the neighborhood unaccompanied… there are after all enough horror stories about kids that disappear, right?  

We also share many moments of joy – occasionally grabbing ice cream on the way home from school, family movie nights with buckets of popcorn or ice cream, playing with them at the park or laughing through an intense game of monopoly.

A caring, loving, and safe environment for our precious children isn’t always a given though.

Parental involvement will keep children happy, healthy, and out of trouble. It’s important to be directly involved in their daily lives as much as possible. Through our involvement, we get to influence and shape their characters to positively impact not only their lives but those around them.  

So how can you impact the world around your kids? Consider these:

Show Them How Much You Care.

You can make a positive difference in your children’s lives just by being affectionate with them. Pay attention to them, make them feel special, and build trust with them.

I’m a hugger. I love to give my kids hugs and kisses all the time. As a result, my kids easily return those hugs, like when I come downstairs in the mornings, they will run to hug me, including my now 14 year old son.. yes, a teenager! I’m the Mum and it makes me feel special, so I bet it makes them feel special when my hugs are plentiful too.   

It’s also important to show them that you care about other people, too. They will learn how to treat and respect others from their parents and will reflect their parents’ attitudes and behaviors by and large.

Show Gratitude.

Gratitude is a powerful catalyst for happiness and joy in our lives. You can influence your children by showing them just how grateful you are for everything your family has and for all the blessings that are in your life, especially and including them.

If there’s a lesson I hope my kids go through life with, it is not to never take anything for granted! Our health, safety, peace of mind, food, security, school, house, friends, family…the list is endless. Many a conversation has started when I see any of them waste food (Mummy this banana/apple has a bruise!) or ask for something they don’t need that is soon discarded.

We sponsor a couple kids in Burkina Faso through the charity organization Compassion and because we receive letters from them regularly, my kids get a glimpse of their material disadvantages. We have conversations about these children and their families, how they live, where they live and how our monthly financial support affords them a better life.

This naturally leads to conversations about how very fortunate our family is and how to express our gratitude to God for everything we have every day.   

Find Their Happy Activities.

If you have more than one child, then you likely acknowledge that they have different personalities. My husband is a twin and he and his brother could not be more different! Some kids are creative, others artistic, sporty, or academically inclined. 

You can shape your children’s personalities by intentionally choosing activities that bring them joy and make them happy. For example, if your child is competitive, you encourage them to participate in a team sport. Even if they are not necessarily competitive, an activity such a team sport could help them with increased confidence.

Activities that improve your kids’ competence will make them happier, boost their confidence and help them grow stronger, independent, and resilient. My kids all play basketball, both for the school basketball teams or club which has greatly enhanced their ability and confidence on and off court, while they’re getting active.

Good Communication.

I think good communication is one of the most underrated factors in fostering a happy home. However, communication isn’t always a walk in the park in the family. Throw into the mix a couple of teenagers and you’re stuffed! Giving kids our undivided attention encourages them to talk and hopefully keep talking.

As a Mum when I sense there’s something on one of the kids’ minds, particularly the teenage son through the stage he’s at, I make it easy for him to open up by using our “10 Minutes” strategy – where we go into a room and chat about what’s up. He knows it’s undivided attention, away from his siblings, no devices and we’re both all ears. His Dad will use the short or long drives to basketball games to have conversations.       

By keeping those communication channels open, you show your children that they are worth your time, effort, and energy and they feel the love you have for them.

Show them but also tell them you love them. Let your kids know you believe they’re capable of doing anything they set out to achieve and you’re their biggest cheerleader.

The more you show your support for them, the more comfortable they’ll feel sharing things with you. You can foster a friendship with your kids without breaking down the parent-child boundaries of discipline and all that other not-so-fun stuff.

Be A Role Model.

Captain America or Spiderman may be a tough act to follow these days as far as heroes are concerned but you can teach your children essential values by living by your values. For example, if you value education, you can encourage your children to study hard every day. If you value entrepreneurship, guide them through your business or how to run their own small little business for example. 

My son made a friend at his new school and announced on day 1 that they had setup a small business to sell shoes – I am his biggest cheerleader!

Behaviors, habits, and values that kids are exposed to by their parents will often become the ones they reflect as they grow up and well into adulthood. If you set a great example for them to follow, and are a good role model, your kids will likely forge their paths with those good values, habits, and behaviors as a basis. That is my greatest hope with my kids, but I am also intentional about guiding them.

In my life, my Mum was and is my greatest role model and I am conscious that I am largely raising my kids the way she raised me and my siblings. I of course hope my daughter will exemplify the same in her life.

I have found role models are often generational influences, which is why it’s important for your family to be a good one.

Conclusion 

You can help shape and influence your children by living by the ideals that you set for them. You can teach them right from wrong, good from bad, proper manners and good etiquette, but if your actions are divergent from what you teach, they are bound to reflect what they see, not what you say!

Happy kids are healthier, more successful in school and ultimately in life, and less likely to get into trouble. You’ll find yourself enjoying your days more when you have children who are happy and well-adjusted – in my humble experience. 🙂

Let me know your strategies – would love to hear what you do with your family. Thanks for reading! 🙂