15 activities to make baby happy

With the expertise of 

• Élisabeth Couzon, meditation training psychologist
• Charlotte Ducharme, founder of the site Cool Parents make happy kids
• Angeline Desprez, psychologist and psychotherapist

1. The cocote of the challenges of the heart

It will bring back memories of the playground … Each morning, each member of the family chooses a number, activates the pressure cooker and discovers their challenge: to offer a gift to a friend, to say hello to a stranger in the street, to be of service to the neighbor. of landing… In the evening, at dinner, everyone tells the others about the little feat they have accomplished during the day! A fun way to strengthen the sociability, empathy and self-confidence of your cherubs.

2. The “swallow-worries” box

A simple slit shoebox will do just fine. The principle ? “Each time the child is crossed by a negative emotion, he writes or draws it on a small piece of paper that he will slip into the box,” explains psychologist Élisabeth Couzon. A way not only to put words to his fear or his grief, but also to establish a distance from what he has lived and to get rid of his anxiety.

3. The infernal machine

The recipe works as much at 1 year as at 5 years. Is your little one touching your right ear? It immediately raises your left arm. Is he pressing on your nose? Hop, here is your tongue sticking out! “Each time, overplay, invent and surprise him! », Advises Charlotte Ducharme, founder of the site Cool Parents make happy kids. Because the happiness of the child comes first and also through laughter.

4. Indoor weather

What if, for a few minutes, you played it Miss Weather? What if you asked your toddler to explore what’s going on inside him and draw his personal weather forecast? Is there sun in his inner sky? Or does it feel like when there are clouds or it rains? “By learning to name the emotions that run through him in this way, he will more easily manage to tame them,” says Élisabeth Couzon. Do not hesitate to repeat the exercise several times a day to show him that our mood fluctuates.

5. The reservoir of love

It is a ritual that can be established before or after the evening story: invite the child to remember all the marks of attention, affection and recognition he has received during the day. . His list is not very extensive? It’s up to you to expand it to best meet their emotional needs. “Children are like cars! », Recalls Angeline Desprez. “To move forward, they need fuel. Some go mostly to hugs, others to sweet words and compliments; some are sensitive to gifts, others to services rendered. It is important to respect their preferences. “

6. The “good for…” a hug, a little game, a story

“To be comfortable in their sneakers, children need“ quality parenting time ”, recalls Charlotte Ducharme. Anything to get you to give her more? Hide cuddly, little game or story vouchers under his pillow or his plate for breakfast that he can use whenever he wants.

7. The book of life

Who am I ? What do I like ? Questions that the child has little opportunity to ask. “To develop his self-esteem, it is essential that he gets to know himself well”, insists Angeline Desprez, psychologist and psychotherapist. To help him, invite him to make a lapbook that he will put in his room. He will stick a portrait of himself there, with his name, age, color of his hair and eyes, his favorite hobby … Free to him over time to enrich it …

8. In contact with your tree

During a walk in the park, offer to sit in the shade of a tree and look at its shape, its color. Together, say hello to him and come and touch him… “Trees are living beings that have the ability to transmit their energy to us,” recalls Élisabeth Couzon. And it works with toddlers, as soon as they stand up.

9. The relaxing ball

Standing, barefoot, resting on one leg, we roll with the other leg, a tennis ball under the arch of the foot, from the tips of the toes to the heel, forming small circles. If an area is painful, we insist a few seconds and come back to it a little later. After three to five minutes of self-massage, you put both feet on the ground and compare the sensations between the two. Then we go to the other side. Exercise stimulates all the nerve endings and thus relaxes the whole body. For ages 3 and up.

10. The tree of success

Did he manage to tie his shoes on his own? He offered half of his snack to a classmate who didn’t have any? Actions that deserve to be highlighted. To do this, draw a large, bare tree on a white piece of paper. Whenever your child makes progress or a positive action, invite them to write it down on a piece of paper in the shape of a leaf that they will then stick in the Achievement Tree. “Materializing her successes will give her confidence”, explains Charlotte Ducharme, founder of the site Cool parents make happy kids, speaker and trainer.

11. The hourglass break

Before a meal, at the end of an activity or when he is excited, suggest that he look at an hourglass together while breathing, with his hands on his stomach. “The hourglass is an interesting visual cue that allows the child to better quantify time,” underlines psychologist Élisabeth Couzon, meditation trainer. It also has real calming power. “Seeing the grains of sand flowing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which interrupts stress.” With toddlers, you can also take a feather and have fun making it vibrate by blowing through your nose when exhaling. Plus, it’s a great time to laugh together!

12. The great circus game

“Tidy up your room”, “Go do your homework”! Injunctions that end up being burdensome for the child. To prevent your daily life from resembling a succession of ordeals, you can inject a dose of lightness into it. Example to reproduce in many situations: when you have to brush your teeth, take your big voice of Mr. Loyal and say: “Ladies and Gentlemen, today in your city, the Grand Circus! They are only 3 and 5 years old and they are already known around the world, and they are going to do a very, very dangerous stunt act of… brushing their teeth! We applaud them loudly! ” You get on your knees, and one after the other, your children climb on you, one foot on each leg, to brush their teeth in balance, ”comments Charlotte Ducharme. On arrival: teeth are brushed, and your child is smiling from ear to ear because he feels valued. Unstoppable!

13 The taste of beauty

All the occasions are good to teach him to focus his attention on beautiful things and to feed on them: a painting, a sculpture or why not a poster in the street, a flower, a music. In addition to doing her good, this experience of beauty will develop her self-confidence. When we find a beautiful painting, we have no explanation to give. We find him beautiful, period.

14. The balloon of anger

Does he frown, sulk, roll on the floor? Now is the time to introduce him to this sophrology exercise applicable from 2 years old. Lying on the ground, the child must imagine that he is blowing a balloon to release all the anger he has in his body. Once the imaginary balloon is fully inflated, he ties a knot in it, and as soon as he feels ready, toss it into the sky and watch it go away.

15. Visualization

“When you experience frustration, sometimes it is enough to think of something pleasant to make you feel better,” remarks Élisabeth Couzon. There it is the same. “We close our eyes, we relax and we project ourselves into success. That’s what champions do to win, and it works. »So, think of a good hot chocolate, pies in the sandbox, a big hug from his grandmother… What happiness!

And whatever the age of your child …

You can also try the EFT method, which consists of free yourself from negative emotions by touching specific points of the body. Applied to children, it helps to overcome phobias and blockages.