In our high-tech world of Pokemon Go and other electronic distractions, we all tend to ignore the little things that make us happy. Teaching your kids to recognize these things is a good practice!

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Teaching your children to
appreciate the simple things:
The gateway to a better life.

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“Parenting with the Law of Attraction in Mind”
From Life Coach & Parenting Coach
Sharon Ballantine
www.SharonBallantine.com

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It can not easily be denied
that life grows more
complex as we grow older.

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Consider how many times
you’ve heard someone declare
how great things were when
they were young. This is
usually followed by some
variation of the statement,
“Life was simple back then…”

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No doubt there are countless
complexities that come hand in hand
with growing up in these times, but
underneath the new and varied
complexities, simplicity still remains.

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Teaching your children to
appreciate the value of simplicity
will benefit them in many ways
throughout their lives. It is a skill
that they deserve to learn, and
one that many parents could
stand to brush up on for their
own personal benefit as well.

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In todays “smartphone culture” it
is easy for anyone to get sucked
into the complexity of things. A
child is likely to spend 5 to 7 hours
per day in front of a computer
screen, tablet, or phone while
doing homework, texting friends,
watching movies or playing games.

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Teaching children to unplug and
tap into the abundance of
simple pleasures that surround
them daily can be incredibly
valuable.

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Studies have proven that
people who appreciate
simple pleasures generally
live happier lives.

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A simple smile
from a friend or
the sweet smell
of a spring lilac
can give a
person great
bursts of
happiness.

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Perhaps these things don’t
represent gateways to instant
happiness for you, but consider
similar things that might work
for you.

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You might consider it a good
practice to write down ten
simple things that give you
pleasure, and then encourage
your family to do the same.

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When you are finished, share
your lists. You might find that
you may want to borrow things
from the lists of others and that
they might want to borrow from
yours.

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If your children have difficulty
recognizing simple things that give
them pleasure, you can suggest a
pleasure hunt. Challenge each of
your family members to recognize
and write down five things
throughout their day that made
them smile.

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You might consider setting some
simple rules that exclude using
“electronic events” such as reaching a
new high score on a video game or
watching a TV show.

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Also, consider setting a
monetary restriction.
Emphasize the value of
being open to the simple
pleasures that are all
around rather than the ones
that can be purchased.

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Over time, you can encourage your
children to keep an ongoing list of
the simple things that give them
pleasure. You can do the same.

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Simply reading through your own list of
things that give you pleasure can fill
your heart with gratitude and joy.

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When a person possesses the
ability to find the beauty, joy and
perfection in the simple things they
are certain to find greater
contentment and satisfaction in
their life. There is no greater gift
you can give to yourself and your
children.

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“Parenting with the Law of Attraction in Mind”
From Life Coach & Parenting Coach
Sharon Ballantine
www.SharonBallantine.com
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