Happiness and spirituality.
More spirituality = more happiness. Now a new study out says the same thing with tweens and children in middle childhood.
Often spirituality gets a bad rep. The stigma that surrounds it often conjures up images of pagan rituals and wayward heathens. But this is changing and science has our back.
The study conducted even showed that religion had no real effect on children at all. But when you really think about it, it all makes sense. Why wouldn’t encouraging your children to pursue their dreams, get in touch with themselves, and be kind make your kids happier?
If you have any stories about using spirituality as a parenting tool, I’d love to hear more about it.
“Spirituality, Not Religion, Makes Kids Happy”
The link between spirituality and happiness is pretty well-established for teens and adults. More spirituality brings more happiness. Now a study has reached into the younger set, finding the same link in “tweens” and in kids in middle childhood.
Specifically, the study shows that children who feel that their lives have meaning and value and who develop deep, quality relationships – both measures of spirituality, the researchers claim – are happier.
Personal aspects of spirituality (meaning and value in one’s own life) and communal aspects (quality and depth of inter-personal relationships) were both strong predictors of children’s happiness, said study leader Mark Holder from the University of British Columbia in Canada and his colleagues Ben Coleman and Judi Wallace.
