The Childhood Seeds of Adult Happiness

I think of a happy childhood or a happy life as one that is full of what we call “prosocial” and other positive emotions. 50 years of happiness research shows us that people find happiness through their connections to other people, and prosocial emotions are those that help us make those connections—like love, altruism, compassion, and empathy. And then there are all of the other positive emotions that a happy life is full of. Positive emotions about the past, like gratitude and appreciation. Present-based positive emotions are a little more obvious—joy and contentment, for example. And future-based positive emotions are important, too, like optimism, faith, and confidence.

Loads of research points to teaching kids emotional literacy as the foundation of happiness. Emotional literacy is people’s ability to read and understand emotions—to recognize, interpret, and respond constructively to their own emotions and the emotions of others. Emotional literacy is one of the most important keys to mental health and well-being.

Children who can regulate their emotions are better at soothing themselves when they are upset, which means that they experience negative emotions like fear and anger for a shorter period of time. They have fewer infectious illnesses and are better at focusing their attention. Such children understand and relate to people better, and form stronger friendships. Emotional literacy is one of the best predictors of school performance and career success, better even than IQ. This is in part because children who are being taught emotional literacy skills are better learners; they also have better relationships in the classroom. Emotional literacy fosters resilience and helps close academic achievement gaps, promoting gains in nearly every area of children’s lives—most notably happiness and school success.

That’s what this blog is all about: how to foster habits and mindsets that will set the stage for positive emotions. There are a lot of things we can do as parents—simple, routine practices—to increase the odds that our children will be happy. And everything we talk about will be based on solid scientific research that draws on many fields: psychology, sociology, linguistics, education, anthropology, medicine—even organizational behavior.

Link to original article: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/half_full/?p=47

Christine Carter, Ph.D., is a mother of two and the executive director of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Find more tips for raising happy kids at greatergoodparents.org.

Subscribe to Half Full: Science for Raising Happy Kids by Email