Raising Happy Children

Raising Happy Children

My thoughts today go toward children. We raised three of them, they are all in their late twenties. Our oldest recently was married in 2011. We were blessed to have happy babies. They hardly fussed at night, and woke up bubbly every morning, ready for the day. I now know how rare that can be in some house holds. Maybe it was their disposition, or our way of raising them, or maybe it was both. When they were teenagers we had a great time with them. Family life was not always perfect. We had our challenges and disappointments but for the most part it was okay at best, and survivable at worst. In the end they all turned out pretty good as far as people, hard working, loving, independent, respectable citizens. Was it luck? You decide. This is how we lived.

We never let them cry to sleep. We always picked them up.

We prayed over their day each morning, and over them every night.

They were never baby sat the first 5 years except once or twice because of a funeral.

We chose to have less, and live on one income while raising them, in order to have mom at home.

We ALWAYS endeavored to know who they were with, and where they were at, until they left home.

Our adult children who lived with us past their 18th birthday understood, this "if you live here you abide by our

rules", 12:00 am curfew. You will work, and pay rent, or go to school,

They didn't seem to mind, and two of them stayed with us until they married.

We laughed a lot, talked a lot, sang songs together, and went to church every Sunday.

We let them express themselves creatively and honed in on their talents. We let them dress how they wanted

except for no belly button showing, tattoos, or piercing. They still are not tattooed or pierced, and the belly

buttons are still covered. However, the hair started getting long, around 11, and the music pretty crazy, surfing, skateboarding

and snow boarding the rave, (bridge propelling ...) We never once had to deal with substance abuse, or rebellion.

We did have to deal with bad decisions, but never character issues. It was to easy and to fun the older they got.

They each had their own jobs, and paid for their first vehicles. We co-signed for the second. Not sure if that was

a good idea, but, for us it panned out. Now they have grown up, have their own vocations, and are musicians on the side.

The boys can fix their cars and houses. The girl is raising three of her own and staying home, and has a little money making

venture on the side. By my standards I think they turned out great, by societies standards, they are tax payers. By God's standards

well, they love and favor Him, so, I'm sure it is a mutual arrangement.

Is this a workable guide for raising children? You decide. I think if you take prayer out of the equation you

might be left with nothing. So keep it in. That is one thing I can vouch for, the rest of it, may all be hit and miss.