“Happy!” is usually the resounding answer.

Christine Carter’s short article “How to Raise Happy Kids” in the Huffington Post gives three deceptively simple tips.  [The article is to highlight her book Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents.]

One of which is praising a child appropriately.  This is one thing I think my husband does exceptionally well.  He refuses to accept “I can’t do that” and instead takes our daughter aside and says, “Let’s practice that, shall we?”

Then he proceeds to model the appropriate behavior, exaggerating the movements, so she can clearly see what she’s supposed to do.  Then he says, “Your turn!”  By her seeing it done, going through the motions, and accomplishing the task, she gets immediate feedback.  She can do it!

They repeat this scenario five or six times, and it seems to help.  [We get the sense of how much she’s absorbed when she’s giving the same instructions to her stuffed animals!]

We want her to know that life is not all about natural abilities.  Most of the time it demands patience, hard work, perseverance, and practice.

Boy, does it ever.