28/04/2025
Ask any parent what they want most for their child, and you’ll likely hear:
👉 “I just want them to be happy.”
It sounds simple, doesn’t it? But when in therapeutic and developmental work, we begin to explore this idea more deeply with parents and caregivers, it quickly becomes clear to them that happiness isn't just a vague outcome. Achieving it rests on key psychological foundations.
👉 One of the most vital foundations?
A sense of Autonomy. Autonomy is not just innate; it’s something we can teach and reinforce.
👉 One of the most effective tools to teach it?
Negotiation.
🤝 Negotiation teaches them how to listen, express, compromise, and choose.
When we involve kids and teens in decisions, we show them their voice matters. They are not just following rules — they're learning how to live.
I discuss the importance and practice of negotiation and consent in my latest piece published on Safe Space™
https://safespace.sg/how-negotiation-teaches-our-kids.../
Is the practice of negotiation present in your Parenting and caregiving toolbox?
Ask any parent about their hopes for their children and they’ll tell you that they just want them to be happy. Happiness is a subjective feeling of well-being and therefore different for each person. Seligman, founder of Positive Psychology, identifies five elements of happiness using the acronym ...
