提升家庭幸福和健康指数的13条妙招

译者 greenleaf007

13 Tips to Increase Your Family’s Happiness and Health

  提升家庭幸福和健康指数的13条妙招

Tolstoy was right—happy families are all alike. At least they share certain basic characteristics. Here are a few of the foundations experts say are key to a loving, cheerful home:

托尔斯泰说得很对，“幸福的家庭彼此相似”，至少它们共有某些基本相似之处。专家说，营造欢乐祥和、爱意浓浓的家庭关键在于以下几个基本点：

1. Create cuddle time. You can’t overdose on hugs. It’s important for families to spend time snuggling in bed together, reading, or talking or playing games. This kind of positive touch helps kids feel loved and secure, plus it’s fun for parents!

1.  创造“相拥时刻”。拥抱不会过度，花时间跟家人们在床上相互依偎，或读书，或交谈，或游戏。积极乐观的身体接触会带给孩子们一种关爱和安全感，父母也会感到乐在其中！

2. Sing together, stay together. The Von Trapp family had it right—singing together is a terrific way to bond as a family. Make up your own words to your favorite tunes; dance around the living room with your children; and use music to motivate room cleaning.

2.  一起歌唱。冯·特拉普一家用唱歌的方式把每个成员都凝聚在了一起，效果很不错。亲自为你喜爱的曲子填歌词；跟孩子们在卧室里翩翩起舞；还可以乘着跳动的音符开展一场室内卫生清扫活动。

3. Make room for fun. While it’s good to encourage your children’s schoolwork and extracurricular activities, too much emphasis on them can create tension and anxiety. Make time for activities that have no purpose other than to allow family members to enjoy spending time together. Play games, plot surprise parties, take long walks, explore a cave, plant a garden, or cook.

3.  制造“快乐空间”。鼓励孩子完成家庭作业、参加一些课外活动固然件好事，但过于强调这些事儿反而会招致紧张和焦虑感。抽时间开展一些目的性不强，而又能让家庭成员共享受快乐时光的活动吧，比如玩游戏，布置惊喜派对，远足旅行，探寻山洞，栽花种菜，再或烹饪美食。

4. Exercise together. Take a run or a bike ride to a local park with your child. At the park, you can take time to relax while your child plays in the sandbox or on the seesaw. This kind of outing allows parents to model healthy behavior, get exercise, and spend time with their kids.

4.  一起锻炼。跟孩子一起跑步或骑车前往当地的公园，在那里，孩子可以享受沙坑或跷跷板带来的乐趣，而你也可以好好放松自己。这种集体外出的方式不仅使父母们可以塑造健康的行为方式，强健体魄，还能与孩子们共度美好时光。

5. Create healthy habits. Junk food high in salt and sugar may taste appealing, but it will play havoc with your family’s health and moods. Create healthy snacking habits by leaving out bowls of fruit, cut-up vegetables, nuts, or dried fruit.

5.  培养健康的生活习惯。垃圾食品虽然美味，然而其中高盐高糖成分将会损害家人的健康，影响心情。培养健康吃零食的习惯，远离果盘、成品蔬菜，坚果和干果吧（这句话不怎么确定）。

6. Cook together. This is another way to get kids interested in healthy foods. While you’re whipping up dinner with your children you are encouraging healthy eating habits as well as teaching cooking, measurement, teamwork, and improvisational skills. Also, kids who help makes meals are more likely to eat them.

6.  一起做饭。这是激发孩子对健康食品兴趣的另一种方式。在手忙脚乱跟孩子们一起准备晚餐的过程中，你不仅可以鼓励他们养成健康的饮食习惯，还能教授他们烹饪、量度、团队合作、即兴发挥的技能。除此之外，有孩子们打下手的菜肴吸引力更大。

7. Reward good behavior. It’s important to reinforce your child’s good behavior. But there’s no need to be extravagant. A visit to the zoo, a movie and popcorn, or a slightly later bedtime can be good motivators.

7.  奖励养成好习惯。强化孩子的养成良性习惯非常重要，但无需过度强调。答应孩子们游览动物园，看场电影吃个爆米花，或者特批他们晚睡会儿都是不错的激励方法。

8. Read and write together. Make time every day for reading. Read aloud to the kids, or have the whole family spend time with their own books, or listen to an audiobook. Cuddling up on the couch can make it even cozier. It’s also important for children to spend some time writing each day.

8.  一起读写。每天要留出读书的时间，或大声念给孩子们听，或全家人一起看各自喜爱的书，再或围坐聆听有声读物。沙发里彼此依偎会使气氛更加温馨融洽，孩子们每天花时间练习写作也非常重要。

9. Go one-on-one. Parents with more than one child should try to spend a little time interacting just with one child each day, even if it’s just for ten minutes. That special time with a parent helps the child feel special and to bond with you.

9.  交流一对一。养育多个孩子的家长每天尽量抽出少量时间，哪怕10分钟，跟一个孩子做互动交流就可以。和父亲（或母亲）在一起的特殊时光会让他感觉不一般，跟你亲密无间。

10. Have routines. Kids thrive when they know what to expect. So bedtime routines that involve bath, stories, and songs before sleep can minimize nighttime misbehavior. A morning routine can also help you get out the door faster with little fuss.

10.  具备常规事务。有期待，孩子们才会茁壮成长。临睡前的常规活动包括：洗澡、讲故事、听歌曲，这些都可以减少入孩子睡后不良习惯的形成。早晨的常规活动也可以帮你免去忙乱之忧快些出门。

11. Appreciate each other. Find little ways to show how much you value each other. One idea is to do a little happy dance every time a child returns from school or a parent from work.

11.  珍惜彼此。找出一些能够表达彼此珍惜的小方法。比如，待到孩子放学或一个家长下班后，跳一曲简短、欢快的舞蹈。

12. Remember sorry isn’t enough. When one of your children hurts the feelings of a sibling, it’s not enough to apologize. That child must also find a way to help heal the hurt she has caused, by helping with a chore or sharing a toy.

12.  记住抱歉是不够的。当其中一个孩子伤了其他兄弟（或姐妹）的感情时，抱歉是不够的。那个孩子必须找到一种方法用来弥补由她而起造成的伤害，比如，帮家里做家务或者同他人分享玩具。

13. Prioritize your marriage The most important thing you can do for your child is to love your spouse and to demonstrate that love. This models a good relationship for your child and helps to keep your marriage intact.

13.  婚姻第一。你能为孩子做的最重要的事就是爱你的伴侣，跟他解释什么是爱。树立起良好的家庭关系会影响你们的孩子，同时这也有助于保持你们婚姻的完整无缺。