How to help your child be happier

Do you want your child to be happier?
For many parents I see; this is one of their aims.  Creating a happy book can be a great start.

What is a happy book?
A happy book is generally an A4 display book, where your child can keep things that are special to them.  It can be used as an emotional educational tool.  

Why create a happy book?
Exploring happiness is a great introduction to understanding more difficult emotions such as anger and sadness. Creating a physical space to keep some things that make us feel happy is one way of doing this.  For children it creates something practical they can share with others and talk about how the things in the space make them feel.
 
Materials:

• An A4 display book.
• Photos, or copies of photos of family, pets, best friends, favourite places
• Drawings or descriptions of your child’s favourite things.
• A poem.
• A list of their favourite books
• A story of their favourite holidays.
• A drawing of how they look when they’re happy.
• Coloured pencils/textas/crayons and any other craft material your child likes.

 
Instructions:
Take time with your child to talk about what they want to put into the book.
Discuss how these things make them feel.
Where do they feel happy in their body when they look at the things they are including?
Why do these things make them feel happy?
 
Alternatives:
If you prefer your child could create a happy box and put things that make them happy in there.  You can talk about what is placed in here the same way as you would discuss items in the happy book.
  
This is an ongoing project and can be added to at any time.
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This does not have to be just for children, anyone can make a happy space.  It may be in the form of journaling, scrapbooking, or creating a gratitude wall.
 
Sometimes we need reminding about the good things in our life.  To remember that there are people that love us and care for us; that we have been happy before and therefore we can be happy again.

Sometimes we need reminding about the good things in our life.  To remember that there are people that love us and care for us; that we have been happy before and therefore we can be happy again.

Please share with someone you think would like to make a happy book .