How to raise emotionally healthy children

Do you wonder how to instill mental and emotional well-being in your kids? If you can teach them to focus on mastering their own outlook on life, this gives them a better chance at feeling upbeat and happy.

There’s nothing complicated about raising children to feel good about themselves and act out healthy behaviors. Psychologists say it’s vital to help your child form a healthy self-image. Some tips to help children:

Brag on them and note their strong points. Say, “I like how you clean your room,” or “You take good care of your pets.”

Use a sense of humor to cover their weaknesses. If you know your daughter has zero aptitude for learning the piano, joke about your own failed attempt at learning the guitar.

Teach children to master daily routines: chores, sports, friends and homework. They will grow up well-adjusted.

Showing children how to relate to others can enhance their emotional health. Well-adjusted people deal with others by:

Keeping boundaries. They verbalize what they can give or do with others. They need to be able to express their own limits.

Learning to discern character. Believing everyone is OK is a recipe for disaster. “I come from a religious family where you’re taught not to judge other people,” says one woman. “I didn’t understand this meant having mercy on others. I spent years hanging out with undesirable people.

“My kids know they need to take charge of their own thoughts, words, and actions. This is where real power lies.”