At lunch today, a pregnant lady manning a push-cart (and who is due in December), while watching Jack smile and laugh, commented how babies in Singapore never smile but always stare blankly.

I don't know about other babies. I never noticed them before I got pregnant and now that I have Jack, I still don't notice them because I'm concentrating on my own! :p

Since the day Jack was born, I've been greeting him every morning when he wakes up with a "Good Morning" and a huge smile, no matter how tired I am, and he reciprocates. He's always a happy baby, smiling and laughing at strangers (usually female) and especially at his family.

What inspired this? Aside from the fact that I'm delighted to see him in the morning, I got through the tough first month from week 2 when he'd reward me with a smile, albeit in his sleep, after nursing. Plus, I find starting the day happy makes the whole day (and everyone around) happy too.

And here's a sticky for myself on how to give Jack a happy childhood:

Helping Your Child Have a Happy Childhood: A Moxie Discussion

Some great tips from commenters:

- Slow down. Time moves differently in childhood. When I realize I am moving too fast, trying to do too much, I stop and just stare at the clouds until I can see the slow pattern shift in them. It re-sets my pacing to something slower, more natural.

- Enlist help. Parenthood is a LOT about the grungy, hard work side of it - health care, teaching, discipline, feeding, clothing, cleaning up, and not all of it is fun-fun-fun. I came to the conclusion that what I would be least able to do on a daily basis was 'enchantment' - I wanted my children to be enchanted by the world, to see its magic, to have their eyes wide with wonder. That plus everything else is a tall order. So I asked my mom if she would take on the job - provide Enchantment. She was THRILLED. It gave her the basis and boundaries she needed to grandmother without stepping on my toes, and a focus for activities, gifts, trips, and even her house... Her yard is now full of secret and magical places. She takes her local grandkids to museums, to ride on Tall Ships, to meet a REAL Princess (from Sweden), and bakes cookies with them, and joins them on dressup parades around the block. The distant grandchild, she ships unexpected packages with books and treasures, and calls regularly to have magical talks on the phone. I also enlist the help of other relatives, and friends, and teachers. It doesn't have to only come from me.

- Show your pride, awe, and wonder. Kids are as astonishing to us as the world is to them. Let them see that in your eyes (I guess that's the 'eyes light up' thing Moxie mentioned)... I do this intentionally, in various forms, from showing up for birthday parties and assemblies at school, to the way I greet them after school, to how I reach out my arms for each of them in turn as I take them to the car. I also let them catch me watching them with my love and pride showing, as they go about their day.

- Astonish them now and then. Sometimes we go out for breakfast, or have cereal for dinner, or go to the park, just 'because'. It makes them laugh and jump up and down and squeal. Say Yes unexpectedly, give them 'drive by hugs' (especially when they're older), give them flowers, pick them up from school early and go somewhere fun. It works when we're courting a partner, and while we have to tune it to the children's developmental level (dinner in a fancy restaurant may NOT work out!), it still generates that 'you thought of what might make me happy, now I feel special' reaction.

- Simply do things WITH them. Don't just had them crayons, sit down and draw your own pictures, and ask them what they think of it. Make your own play-doh figures, climb on the playground stuff (at least the stuff you can't break!) with them, play tag with them.

- Being present. I could tell when my parents were tuned into me, or when they were around but not really paying attention.

- Knowing that my parents respected my BIG choices. When I really wanted to switch schools in 5th grade, or when I was sick and tired of Sunday school, my parents listened.

- and (I found this one online, and I think it's great) cultivate nice memories by regularly recalling fun times, by showing your kids photographs and other souvenirs of happy things you did together when they were younger. When doing this, you help them build happy memories. Sounds a bit manipulative at first, but I think there's a great principle behind it: learning to emphasize the good things that happened to you in the past will help you become a more joyful person in general.

Tags: happy baby