Wish for Healthiness Over Happiness

What You Need to Know

It seems ridiculous to consider the idea that happiness might be harmful. But the obsession with creating happy children is creating generations of non-resilient children who don't know how to deal with adversity. 

Facing and coping with childhood's inevitable adversities, such as falling off a bicycle, being kicked to the curb by a best friend, or not getting the part in a school play are how children develop resilience. But if happiness-obsessed parents are shielding their kids from adversities, their children lack practice with that vital life concept. And when it's finally time to leave home and enter the real world, adjustment is difficult and leaves such children at higher risk for escapist behaviors like drug and alcohol abuse when faced with greater levels of unhappiness than when parents were around to shield them. 

How You Can Help

Plant these seeds to plant values in your children that will bring them true happiness as they grow: 

• Replace, “I just want my child to be happy,” with, “I just want my child to have a meaningful life, good health, and strong relationships.” 
• Teach good mental and physical health: healthy eating, sleeping and exercise habits, as well as modeling good mental health by discussing both happy and unhappy feelings. 
• Promote a meaningful life for children to learn of purpose their own needs. Talk about your personal heroes, and introduce children to community service projects. Practice altruism to teach and pass along to your child the joy of giving themselves to others 
• Encourage closeness and show your child the value of friendships by spending time with your friends and your children's friends. 
• Teach children to be grateful for all that they have by commenting on all the positive elements within your life, even when things are rough. 
• Model optimism by facing life with a “can-do” attitude. 
• Help your child find things they love to do that highlight their strengths.

For more on this topic, see the complete article:

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/Happiness_Overrated/