What We Really Need to Teach Our Children About Happiness

Happiness is a chosen state and this is the most important thing you can teach your children. Everything in their lives tells them something different. On the most offensive level it is the television or internet telling them that this toy or going to this restaurant is going to produce happiness in their lives. On a more benign level our well intentioned society tells them to work hard in school to get a good job that pays well. It is as if even in our moments of higher thought we as adults seem to send the message having material things brings happiness.

Ironically, most children above the age of eight know that old adage. "Money cannot buy happiness", is true. Yet, all of our messages tend to tell them otherwise. That great job we want them to study so hard in school to land is almost always about the pay; very little about the importance of the job.

We may all want our Johnny to a doctor when he grows up. He more likely wants to be a fireman. It is not that he is more morally innate then the adults around him; riding on a bright red truck with sirens and flashing lights is exciting. Excitement not greed, defines his hope for vocational happiness. We adults forget when we are steering our children to personal happiness that our children are basically born happy if their needs of the moment are met. We in reality can learn more about happiness from them then we know ourselves. They find happiness jumping in a mud puddle. Happiness for children is free and in the moment. When we grow we seem to think happiness is something we must work and sacrifice for to gain in the future.

The most important thing we can teach our children about happiness is that they already know how to be happy. It is to encourage them to laugh at things that are naturally funny and find joy in the simplest of things. It is a skill we do not need to teach them to have, but rather to remember.

The joy of God is a natural thing; just like the joy and happiness of a child. Watch your children play and be happy and you will see the joy of God. Splash in a mud puddle in on your way into work and you will know the joy of a child. See joy and you will have joy. In the end happiness is a choice we need to teach our children to continue to make.