"I want to raise a miserable child," said no one ever. At least that's our hope because the goal should always be to raise happy children. Still, that doesn't mean that we have to provide them with perfect childhoods or be perfect ourselves, which is great because that would be impossible. We're actually pretty sure that trying to be perfect has very little to do with being happy. Plus, children don't need perfection because they are wonderfully resilient. What they do need is our help in providing them with an environment that fosters happiness, and that is totally doable.
More from MamásLatinas: Secrets of happy moms
So much of parenting is instinctual. We can read expert opinions on how things should be done that leave us feeling like complete and utter failures, but the truth is that there is no one way to be a good parent, and there is no one way to raise a happy child. When something works, we can tell by the joy on a child's face. When something doesn't work, we can feel it in our hearts, and they can too. Here are a few suggestions that we would like to offer on ways to raise a happy child.