Happiness is a very high bar for parents | Jennifer Senior

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The parenting section of the bookstore is overwhelming—it's "a giant, candy-colored monument to our collective panic," as writer Jennifer Senior puts it. Why is parenthood filled with so much anxiety? Because the goal of modern, middle-class parents—to raise happy children—is so elusive. In this honest talk, she offers some kinder and more achievable aims.

In a groundbreaking 2010 story for the magazine, called “All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting,” she examined the social science around modern parenting, looking at happiness research from Dan Gilbert, Danny Kahneman and others, as well as anthropological research (she was an anthro major) around how families behave. Her conclusion: Hey, parents, it’s okay not to feel blissfully happy all the time.

Every parent needs to listen to this very meaningful TED Talk by Jennifer Senior

[youtube height=”500″ width=”800″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOgsYATbV-s[/youtube]

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HomeLifeHappiness is a very high bar for parents | Jennifer Senior