For happy families

Today, the family and children have become much more difficult than it was before, but everyone and all together must be able to find the way and trust that we can overcome the difficulties. By presenting their fears, learning from the challenges, from other experiences, we can become stronger, smarter, more sensitive.
By going through the day, faced with difficulties and overcoming them, we learn to be better parents: more knowledgeable, more sensitive, more consistent, more objective, more creative and patient. Often, the parents complain about the lack of time and the inability to provide the child with every opportunity available, but it should be remembered that the most important thing is LOVE, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, HEALTH, SAFETY and BELONGING TO FAMILY
What are the children waiting for? What makes children truly happy? Often the most warmest childhood memories remain as if everyday 'little', and the details are those big things that make children feel loved, understood and protected. Children are admirable smart/heartbeat and can see the world more easily and clearer, so being together is the most important thing.
As very special moments, children remember:

• evening fairy tales, memories, and rocky songs;
• embrace, embarrassment, sitting in the lap;
• time with parents (without brothers, sisters);
• special meals involving children in preparation;
• evening's late talks on holidays, school, friends, love;
• playing together;
• ideas from parents like playing with friends
• enrollment in bed and watching joint movies;
• special family rituals;
• hidden loving notes/letters under a cushion or in a school bag;
• clear rules as they enable them to be protected;
• shared laughter and other humor.
• surprises;
  joint travel.

Common family traditions, hobbies, regular family events are the most distinguished families from those who do not consider themselves happy. Looking for happiness keys, you can both look at yourself and look around because the relationship between the feeling of happiness of a individual person and the people, relationships and traditions in it is unambiguous. Happiness in the family plays a very important role in the sense of personal or personal happiness.
The feeling of happiness in day-to-day life is very simple and requires only the commitment of each of them and additional attention to co-workers. It is all based on mutual understanding and sincere communication, not afraid to show attention and not to bless or praise anyone else.
Well-established and shared generational relationships and family traditions will be a solid foundation not only for family happiness but also for harmonious child development, successful adult careers and active, enthusiasm and joy days in the lives of the family's older generation. Shared interests and mutual affection will allow the family of several generations to maintain close relationships even when adult children begin their lives, possibly even far away from their parents' home. The development of family relationships, shared passion and family traditions is a great investment in the future of happy people. You don't need a lot to do that. You can start with a little more attention, care and sweetheart, a little more time with your Middle!

Things that help to be good parents for happy children: 

1. Show your love. Say, “I love you”, embrace and rescue children.
2. Listen and hear what children speak.
3. Protect your children. Let them feel safe.
4. Determine the boundaries and be consistent in your rearing.
5. Praise the children, be proud of them.
6. See good behavior.
7. Critize behavior, not children.
8. Be a good example.
9. Spend time together.

LOVE 
Love can never be too much. Let's let children and each other live happily in simple moments of life. We'll be able to thank you, embrace children, meet and say goodbye to children.
Touch is a significant component in any relationship. The embrace is a natural way to express concern and love, and it can be even healing. Medical researchers have revealed that the embrace is capable of reducing stress hormone, positive effects on blood pressure and heart beat, and strengthens the immunity of the body. In the lives of children, everyone in love is a testament to the love and acceptance of children. It is a gift worth gifting again and again every day. The family therapist Virginia satire says, “We need 4 arms per day to survive.” We need 8 arms per day to live. We need 12 arms per day to grow and develop.
What embrace/embarrassment means in the lives of children:

• creates a sense of security and contributes to confidence;
• reduces the feeling of anger and loneliness;
• strengthen the immune system;
• a feeling of happiness;
• increase self-assessment, teach you to love yourself;
• reduces body tension, relieves pain;
• balancing the nervous system;
• encouraging, helping to overcome fear;
• teach you to feel the energy of life, understand and give it to the other;
• promote mutual understanding.

How to express love? 

• Give the child a loving gift! The children are also happy about the seemingly, a candy in the form of chocolate or a small notebook with a heart, a letter from parents, a puzzle, or any other toy.
•  Make up with children's cards, letters, or paper hearts for other people who are important to you – grandparents, parents, kindergartens.
•  Spend time together in nature: in winter, the whole family goes to the mountain ski, or just go to the nearest Kalniņa, while the summer takes “expeditions” to the forest grassland, etc. and small hiking with picnic.
•  Make an atypical meal with a taste of love! Heart-shaped sand biscuits, the drawings made from the ketchup on the edge of the lunch plate, the food as a drawing or sculpture - everything is in your mind.
•  Do a good job together because if love is in the family, it's good to share it. Go clean the courtyard, take a diploma for a great job for the nanny, go to the assistant neighbors, visit the old people.
•  There are a number of different things and activities that can be enjoyed jointly – beautiful music, film, photo albums, calls for close and loving people, walk, talk, etc.

 MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING 
The language is the basis of mutual understanding of people and the filter through which we learn to understand ourselves and the world around us. Every parent wants children to grow strong, self-confident, honest and skilled, so you must be aware that even everyday conversations and situations can affect the future of our children.
Human development takes place step by step, and even when we think that children have grown up and they should be intelligent, they see, think and feel the world differently than we are, adults.

How to talk to a child to hear 

1. In order for mutual communication to be possible, the quality of the relationship is of primary importance. In ordinary life situations, children also gain a sense of security and create emotional intimacy with adults: through touch, sailing, singing, speaking, reading, playing, praise, encouragement, etc.
2. Be together. Children who feel confident will be more easily able to talk about their feelings, concerns, or problems. Let us show interest and encourage children to speak, saying, “Tell me again”, “how interesting”, “whether i understand it correctly”. We need enormous courage to express ourselves, so let's give children time and chance to be brave. Let's listen and let kids tell their stories.
3. Encourage and highlight good. The good words always encourage you to try, achieve more, create a confidence in the atmosphere, and so the problems can be discussed much easier. There is a difference if you say, “you're a careless, sluggish milk” or “skimmed milk.” Please help the table.
4. By expressing requests or directions, to say what to do, not what to do. Children sometimes understand what behavior is undesirable, but they don't understand and imagine what they expect. Instead of saying, “don't get the coat”, let's say “a coat on a hanger.”
5. To teach children to take responsibility and encourage them to change their behaviour, it is helpful to use THE EU form in a conversation with the child. Instead of saying, “Why don't you listen to me?” i don't want to read if i don't listen.
6. Let's remember that children can't do several things at once. Make sure that when we talk to a child and give him a request, the child's attention will be given to us. For example, call and wait until the child puts the game aside to recall.
7. Children think and understand very directly. Therefore, it is important to speak “clear language” and give specific guidance, so we will ask 1 case at once. Instead of saying, “organize the room”, we'll ask you to “replace the blocks” or “close the book”. In order to ascertain whether an adult request is understood, it is appropriate to ask the child to repeat the request.
8. Let us not pray, it will promote mutual respect. Instead of saying, “Off TV”, let's say “i want you to turn OFF TV.”
9. The children learn to imitate. If we want to teach politeness, we must be able to be. Let us not co-act with you, thank you, with the greatest pleasure, whether i can …
10. Eye contact is always important in conversation with children. This improves communication and keeps attention.
11. In order to avoid unnecessary disputes in mutual communication, we will offer children a choice. For example, let's let you choose whether to wear the pajamas first, or clean your teeth; select a pink or blue dress.
12. We'll be patient. We will make the safe environment step by step, day from day, introducing rituals, habits so that the negotiations can be carried out under natural conditions, because “it is customary and accepted”. For example, every day at dinner table or bed, we will discuss the most important events and experiences of the day, share our experiences and teach them to children.
    Even the smartest, patient, and more powerful parents ever become mistaken. Children know that adults also make mistakes, so it is particularly important to apologize and ask for forgiveness for children. It is not so easy to recognise its mistakes, but it is very important. This is a significant step in keeping the “error” in the past and being able to live forward. We must be able to teach children that “mistakes” do not have to be accompanied by their whole life and must be able to accept them and forgive themselves. Apologizing, we teach children to take responsibility for the wrong action.

How to apologize for children 

1. It is important to apologize as soon as possible. Children see things and take events directly. Conflicts and discrepancies can only be analyzed at the time of the event, so it is important to implement the desired behavioral model at once.
2. Even if someone seems guilty, it is important to apologize for HIS actions.
3. It is important to avoid “BUT”. I almost always want to explain, justify my actions, but it is superfluous because “but” suppresses and even denies the previous story.
4. It is essential that the apology is true and the heart. The formal phrases can hurt even more than if the apology is not at all. A superficial attitude indicates that we do not offer apology, but also say that the child had no reason to become sad, hurt or humiliated.
5. If possible, it is important to correct the error. Do it right!
6. We'll teach children to forgive. Forgiveness is a very important lesson of life. We will be grateful for apology and forgive our fellow people.

HEALTH 
Only a little is needed to promote a healthy lifestyle that will make every member of the family stronger, more energetic and secure. To maintain this, the main thing is to introduce healthy habits in your family's daily life: eat healthy; work with physical activities; think and be positive.
For the normal development of a child, the base itself is the correct and balanced diet. To create healthy eating habits in children, it is worth remembering some healthy eating laws:

• Eat regularly! In order to absorb the required energy and nutrients, the child should be eaten 4-5 times a day, preferably at a given time. It should be remembered that the knives - chocolate, candy, chips etc. can not be replaced by a full menu. The size of the meal is individually applicable to each individual, without taking into account this principle, a sense of salt which later threatens obesity.
• The different diet! For a child to grow and develop, the menu should be diversified every day and try to eat without hurry. Food must include food from various food groups: 1) bread, groats and pasta, potatoes, 2) vegetables, greens, fruit and berries, 3) milk and milk products, 4) animal or poultry meat or fish, legumes and nuts.
• Don't get out of the house in the morning. After the night's peace, the energy supplies in the child's body are exhausted, so it is important that the child eat breakfast, which will help concentrate on learning at school and playing in kindergarten or home. Breakfast should not be replaced by sweets, confectionery or fast snacks on the way to school or at an intermediate point. The child should receive beans in breakfast, flakes with milk or yoghurt, grain or bran bread, egg, but preferably cheese, fruit and vegetables. Breakfast should provide 25% of the amount of energy required per day.
• Eat cereals! In the school years, children grow fast, so the appetite increases and the need for extra energy arises. Food from grain products for bread, groats, pasta, vegetables (including potatoes), as well as fruit, the organism is processed more durably, produces a sense of salt and is a sufficient source of energy.
• Each day the nutrients are included in the diet! Protein is particularly important in growth and development processes because of the creation, restoration and protection of body tissue. It is therefore important to include eggs, dairy products, lean meat, fish every day.
• Do not forget dairy products! It is the most important source of natural calcium and phosphorus. Milk and milk products play a key role in shaping strong bone, therefore it is recommended that the use of vitamin D foods be used.
• Eat fruit and vegetables, especially local, every meal! In order to ensure the necessary quantities of vitamins and minerals, the diet of the child requires the diversity of fruit and vegetables, both root and leaf vegetables and greens and various fruit and berries. Local and seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables are particularly recommended.
• For reconstitution, use the fat moderately! Fat per day must be taken up to 35% of the total energy quantity, including 90% must be vegetable fat. Do not use overheated and multiple heated fat for the preparation of baby food. In order not to exceed the recommended standard of fat for the child's diet, prepare a vegetable salad using vegetable oil, yoghurt or fruit (e.g. lemon) juice.
• Healthy snacks between meals! In order to relieve the sudden hunger of the child, it is recommended to select products without colours, sweeteners and low fat content such as fruit, fresh vegetables, small quantities of cooked, non-salted nuts or dried fruit.
• Take a sufficient amount of liquid! Children should be offered to drink several times a day. It is best to relax with water not with a variety of sweetened, coloured and aerated drinks. The taste of water can be improved with lemon, grapefruit slices and peppermints.

SECURITY 
Parents are responsible for the safety of their children, so you must be those who tell and teach children about the respect of security measures in every situation of life. Remember that first children learn from an adult example, they do what their parents do.
You need to know where your child is. Agree with your child that he will always inform you of where it is planned to go, with whom, when and how long it is planned to stay and how you will be contacted.
Safety on water and water at water is a very strict measure, so children should explain potential risks. Do not leave without monitoring children during swimming and do not allow adolescents to swim alone, with their friends safer, and they will be able to seek help if necessary.
Talk to children in road traffic rules. Often, children tend to forget about traffic safety, so explain how to navigate safely by cycling or scrolling when the helmet is to be placed in the head and the knee, elbow protectors must be pulled into the reflective vest. Do not leave the child alone with a bicycle until you are sure of his driving skills.
It is necessary to discuss the danger that can be caused by the operation of the fire. Fire safety experts recall that the main conditions of fire safety are – not to play with flammable toys, candles, matches and lighters. Keep flammable objects in non-accessible places.
It is important for children to remind children that they should not play with electrical switches, wires, contacts and electrical appliances. Learn that adults should be informed when contacts or wires are damaged. Remember to disconnect from the power and store the electrical devices in a safe location. For children, different devices are very interesting and need a very small moment in which an unseen child can blame yourself.
Dangerous is poisoning with unfamiliar substances and poisonous plants, so talk to children about risks and learn to recognise plants.
The reason for dangerous injuries may be contact with foreign animals (it should be noted that the animal's behaviour is unpredictable).
The children are very tempted by Unfinished Building Objects: barn roofs, new buildings, etc. In these places, children are shrying, such as jumping races from a height or thinking other games that may result in injuries.
Pay attention to the fact that it is not advisable to talk to unfamiliar people, to sit in other cars. Warn you that you can't take anything from the stranger and never go with you.
Children should be reminded where to search for help in different cases, when you need to go to your neighbors when you call parents and call emergency services by phone 112.
Information on how to protect themselves can also be found on the national police website for http://www.sargi-sevi.lv/.
Do not be indifference if you notice that the health or safety of a foreign child is endangered!

BELONGING TO THE FAMILY
When a baby enters the world, he is not only in the family but also in the family. Not even in one, but in two families, which have been joined by the new family. The child has half of the genetic information from the same family and half of the information from the other. By birth, a person receives all the experience and values of the family and is both the good and not the good one who has been in these two families. It is the parents who can choose what to do with it: good to continue and not so good to stop, or do something else.
Only by conscious and familiarisation of the previous generations of the family can a permanent and strong family be formed, as different stories, practical things, recipes are transferred from generation to generation, but especially those stories that are enriched with emotions and emotions. It all gives the stories of family life a special “taste”, individuality.
In order for a child to feel his family ties in early childhood, it is necessary to maintain contacts and to know as much as possible about his family.
If the child is loved, understood and needed for his family (hence born), he is a strong interconnection of the inner “eu” with the outer world and the people surrounding it.
So find time to

• relag with children in their family album (if there is no album, then make it together);
• tell children about birth, ancestors, the experience of generations;
• with the children to learn the ancient way of life, ancient professions, it will enable children to better understand the lives of ancestors, assess the comfort of today's life;
• to visit long-lost relatives with children;
• to study and design/draw their own family tree. (after psychologist Iveta Goebeles)
• with children to visit the tomb, which is a special festival tradition in the summer of Latvia, in order to remember their deaths in the family circle
• organized family, family together celebrations

The material was collected by Elita Opincane