Do you lead a happy life, generally speaking? Then chances are your children will also lead a happy life.
A group of scientists from four major universities examined over 1,000 pairs of twins from a huge study on the health of American adolescents. In “Genes, Economics and Happiness," they concluded that about a third of the variation in people’s happiness is genetic. And although their conclusions were indisputable, they were unable to isolate the happy gene. Why? Because they used only American subjects in their test, which skewed an ethnic genetic bias. Asians are typically less happy than their North American counterparts. Africans span the gamut of happiness, depending on the origins of their tribes. Intersting stuff, this genetics!
External circumstances are just as important to determining the happiness of your children. It's common knowledge that people who are satisfied with their careers are generally happier with their lives, which caries over to their family life. Extroverts are generally happier than introverts. And people who are very young and very old are generally happier than those in the middle-aged group who seem overwhelmed by life's many commitments. Many factors come together to determine the happiness of your children. One-third, the genetic factor, is beyond your control. The other two-thirds will involve hard work and a positive outlook on life. But when you think of it, hard work and a positive outlook generally lead to a happy life. Hmmm...
And certainly, physical disabilities will also play a role in a child's happiness. If a parent is seriously injured in an accident or gets a debilitating disease, that child's life will be less happy than a child with an able and capable parent. Hovever, I've also noticed that people who are more positive and happy generally have a lower incidence of accidents and disease. Another hmmm....
So the bottom line with this post? When you're chosing a life-long partner, find one who likely carries a happiness gene for the health and welfare of your family! And then work hard to maintain a positive outlook for a happy existence.
Happy parenting!
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