On a recent car trip, I asked my son (aged almost 7) what makes him happy.

His response:

• Cuddles from Mama (me)
• My Birthday – I wish it was my birthday every day (when I asked him this his birthday was 9 days away and we had been preparing for his party hence lots of attention)
• When my sister tells me stories such as the Gingerbread and Mr Baker (stories my daughter makes up)
• When Mama tells me a story
• Having Special Time
• Driving together in the car
• Playing Uno and other games with you

The response did surprise me, I had expected it to be his toys, playing with friends, going to his sporting activities (soccer, football, athletics), shows and other experiences I take him to (bounce, ninja warrior, markets, etc).

It wasn’t it was all activities where I spend time with him and he has my undivided attention.

This made me realise what my son needs to make him happy is me, my attention and my love. It is not me spending money on him buying material objects, not organising continual activities for him to do and me project managing everything with a tight schedule so I can fit more activities in (which then stresses me when I am behind schedule).

What I need to do is ensure I spend more time with him and give him my attention. The great news is this will save me a lot of money. 😂😂😂

What does your child need to make them happy? Make time today to ask your child what makes them happy.

You may be surprised by the answer, it may not be what you thought. By identifying this you will know what you need to do to fill there love bucket and make them happy (and I am sure will make you happy too).

I would love to hear what your child says, please share in the comments below what makes them happy.

In an earlier post, I wrote about Special Time – 5 Simple Steps for Happier Children, which is about filling your child’s power and attention bucket daily. This is a great article on a simple activity you can do for your child that I strongly believe will help make your child happier.