We all want to make your kids happy, right? Of course we do! It’s all we want for our children. However, parents can go too far and end up spoiling their kids to the point where they don’t appreciate anything. Think Veruca Salt singing “I want it now!”

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It is my Universe, after all.

Spoiling for life

It’s easy to understand how it happens, but it’s not going to set up our kids for life. Instead we need to find a way to make our kids happy, while not spoiling them all of the time and teaching them to be confident.

Is it possible? Of course.

Let Them Earn It

Obviously, we’re not talking about super young children here, but as they start to get older they need to learn the value of things. This is where a lot of parents go wrong, myself included, because we don’t give our children enough responsibilities. With my husband in he military, he was often away or pulling 2nd/3rd shifts. This was hard on the kids. I made the mistake of trying compensate for this loss by taking care of everything.

As they got older, I did try to get them to do chores for an allowance and that worked to some degree but it was harder. I highly recommend starting younger. They tend to like “chores” when they are young and will become accustomed to contributing early on. As a bonus, it teaches them to be responsible, and the value of money.

Communicate!

If we want our kids to be happy then we need to work on spending time with them. Let’s be clear, it can be tough when everyone has a different schedule, but we have to find time to spend together, and ensure that you are always communicating. Openness and honesty are two of the most important foundations of any relationship, especially that between a parent and their child.

The thing that we need to remember is that if we expect this from them, then we also have to be willing to do this as well. Speak openly, honestly, and ensure that there is no judging your children. If they feel judged they will not open up again. I mean… we would probably do the same, right?!?

Let’s Party

When birthdays come around, this is our time to go all out. Our kiddos get ONE day every year that is all about them, and there is no reason why we can’t go all out for them while staying within your budget. (Remember that budget part and have no guilt on that!)Indulge those big asks if youcan, look into things like birthday party go karts if you think that this is something they would enjoy and so much more. I know we have had so much fun when we raced carts, did light up tag fights, and chased each other through mazes,

Because they’re worth it!

We all want to make our kids as happy as possible without denying them the opportunity to become the best person they can be. It’s a tough balance, but I know they are worth it, so we have to be up to the task!