Wishing Our Children Happiness By Wendy O'Leary If you have children you know the feeling; the deep desire to FIX things that don’t go their way. That urge to manage and get ahead of their possible disappointments and frustrations and to see them “happy”. I remember clearly sitting in a parents group when my youngest was in elementary school and participating in a discussion about what we most wanted for our children. Being happy was at the top of everyone’s list and yet our ideas of what this meant and how to “make” it happen seemed unclear at best and more than a bit out of sync with the reality of how the world works. Parents at this workshop wanted their kids to …make the team, get the part in the play, get into the right college, be successful in school, have good friends, be popular, and the list goes on. Basically happiness was defined as the “oh so practical” wish for them to never feel let down or disappointed and for everything in their lives to be perfect! You see t
