| With all the responsibilities that come with being a | | | | they perceive the world. Once your child moves out of |
| mother, can we really expect to be happy? Maybe | | | | your house and beyond your direct influence, the world |
| we're asking for too much. And yet, happiness is | | | | becomes their home and whether they believe it to be |
| important. We are told that happiness benefits not only | | | | friendly or unfriendly will greatly affect the quality of |
| individuals, but communities and the greater society. | | | | their life. |
| Studies also show that happiness creates higher | | | | Your children are constantly looking to you for |
| incomes, stronger relationships, more friends, deeper | | | | permission on how good their life can be. They are |
| social interactions, greater self-confidence, better | | | | naturally filled with joy, but how much are they allowed |
| physical health and a longer life. | | | | to live? We are not going to allow our children to be |
| We may have thought our happiness had to be put on | | | | happier than we allow ourselves to be. As you grow |
| hold, but we still want it for our children. We try to pick | | | | and expand your capacity for joy, your children are |
| the best preschool, feed them the healthiest food, | | | | freed up. Yet, if you begin to contract and shrink, a lid |
| arrange play dates and pretty much do everything we | | | | gets put on their joy. Notice how your child's level of |
| can to make sure they have all those things that | | | | happiness reflects your moods. If being happy and |
| happiness brings. But what if we're missing the point? | | | | joyful is a priority of yours, your children will naturally |
| What if there is a more direct route to assure our | | | | maintain a higher level of happiness. |
| child's success and happiness in life? There is, and | | | | When you're happy, your children like to be around you. |
| that's your own happiness. | | | | You're nicer, you're easier to be with and you're more |
| Our love for our children is so deep that we often fear | | | | fun. This may not sound appealing when your children |
| that if we focus on our own happiness we may be | | | | are very young and you can't get a second to |
| taking something away from them. This is a scarcity | | | | yourself, but very soon you'll be grateful for that strong |
| thought based on the belief that there is only so much | | | | connection you have with your child. When my oldest |
| good to go around. It reminds me of the concept how | | | | son was born, my Mom said, "You're going to have so |
| could I ever love my second child as much as my | | | | much fun with him." I remember being taken aback a |
| first? But if you have more than one child, you know | | | | little by the comment. I hadn't really thought of the fun |
| that love is expansive and you have more than | | | | part of raising my son. My mind was so focused on |
| enough for both or three, four or twelve. We live in an | | | | having all the proper baby supplies, reading all the how |
| abundant universe. | | | | to books and making sure that I knew how to do |
| Part of our job as a parent is to teach our children | | | | everything 'right.' |
| about the world they live in. Einstein once said there is | | | | Yet, the gift of parenting goes beyond getting it 'right.' |
| only one important question in life, "Is the Universe that | | | | As parents, we are incredibly blessed to live with and |
| we live in friendly or unfriendly?" Ask yourself, am I | | | | witness the development spiritually, emotionally and |
| having a good time being here? Do I feel safe, secure | | | | physically of another human being. You're at the |
| and happy? Your answer to that question impacts | | | | beginning of the journey. Enjoy it, savor it. And if you |
| your child because you are the filter through which | | | | do, you will have the luxury of living without regrets. |