Family, especially the parents, plays the most vital role in the life of a child. They are a child’s first relationship and source of interpersonal interactions, which help them learn how to interact with others.
How good a child ultimately is when dealing with other people is highly dependent on their relationship with the family and the overall environment at home. Thus in order to succeed in human interactions in life and to have meaningful and lasting relationships, it is necessary for a child to be brought up in a healthy home.
Let’s have a look at how to ensure your child is raised in a positive way and how to change your home environment to a healthy one.
What Is A Positive Home Environment for a Child?
Before we discuss what is ‘positive,’ let’s define what we mean when referring to a home environment. Studies suggest a home environment includes “emotional warmth displayed by parents while interacting with their children; provision of stimulating and learning experiences in the home; and physical surroundings, such as safety of play areas and cleanliness.”
Thus by the definition above, a home environment includes circumstances that a person is living in, including the tangible factors of the house and the emotional aspects between the people living in there. It would cover the socio-economic status and provisions that are provided along with the quality of social interactions between the family members.
For a child, the kind of home they grow up in has a significant, direct impact on their personality as well as their outlook toward life. Parents are the primary caretakers and are responsible for creating a safe place for the child to grow up.
So when it comes to building a positive and healthy home for children, specific considerations have to be taken into account, such as whether the child feels secure and protected, whether they are loved and cared for, are their material as well as emotional needs being fulfilled, etc.
Benefits Of Having A Positive Home Environment for Your Child
Being brought up in a positive and healthy surrounding can be highly beneficial to a child. Additionally, it can bring numerous advantages for the family as a whole. Here are a few of the major benefits:
- Better relationship between the children and parents
- Meaningful as well as quality human interactions
- Enhanced confidence in children
- Greater social and emotional development for children
- Improved mood and mental health for everyone
- Lower chances of anxiety and depression
- Increased motivation and performance
Tips For Building A Positive Home Environment for Your Child
The following guidelines can help you as a parent to create an environment at home that is healthy and positive, not just for your children but for all members of the family.
Communicate Well
Allow open and two-way communication with your children. Don’t be shy to talk about your thoughts, feelings, or any pressing matter. Encourage them to give you their feedback and express themselves in a trusting and non-judgemental setting. Be specific about any instructions or boundaries and communicate them clearly so your child knows what to expect.
Be Expressive
Show your love and affection to your children to ensure that they know they are loved and cared for. It helps your child bond with you and develops a relationship of trust. Research by UCLA indicates that children who feel unconditionally loved by their parents tend to be happier and more stress-free. Comforting hugs, kisses, and words of encouragement are all ways you can express your affection to your child and make them feel safe and loved.
Show Respect
Respect should be two sided when it comes to a parent-child relationship. Show respect towards your children in order to receive it in return too. Never abuse or belittle your child, no matter what the situation might be. If your child has done something wrong, instead of attacking them as a person or insulting them, try to focus on the behavior to rectify it.
Quality Time
You may have a busy schedule or never-ending work commitments, but make sure you consciously take out time to spend with your family. Children who have meaningful and quality interactions with their parents tend to have better social and emotional development as they grow older. It is not only an excellent approach to bonding with your child but also lowers the risk of mental diseases and behavioral issues.
Be a Role Model
Children, especially in their early years, tend to look up to their parents and follow them, whether knowingly or unknowingly. From how to talk, what to wear, or what to eat, children pick up many of the habits and patterns of their parents. Thus it is vital that you take care of yourself as well and model your own behavior so that your child sees you as a confident, respectful, and caring person. In other words, invest time in correcting your own patterns and being the best version of yourself.
A Positive Setting
Make sure that your home is where your child not only feels safe but also it is also a place that inspires creativity and learning. In addition to encouragement and support, the physical setting of the home should be one that exudes positive energy. From appropriate lighting and comfortable furniture pieces to including nature with the help of indoor plants, create a space that is warm and homely.