Why Parents Should Consider How Responsibility Can Make Kids Happy [One Minute Feature] - Trace Embry

For parents, providing things like love, security, and happiness for their kids is just part of the job. Unfortunately, some parents may confuse providing these things with providing excessive pleasures, conveniences, and material possessions.

While this stuff may provide a sense of temporary happiness, learning responsibility can make kids happy in the long run. Let’s consider how having responsibilities can contribute to long-term happiness.

How Responsibility Can Make Kids Happy in the Long Run

“I just want my child happy.” Parents tell me this all the time. But giving our kids all the carnal pleasures in the world to make them happy won’t keep them happy. If you think they will, you are living in a fool’s paradise. In fact, almost just the opposite is true. Humans are wired for responsibility and can attain deep long-term happiness from it. Scripture calls this joy.

Many parents make the mistake of thinking too short term. We want Junior smiling now. Requiring responsibility from our kids will just put them in a bad mood—won’t it? Maybe temporarily, but so what? We’re looking for long-term results here. Giving our kids responsibility before giving them carnal pleasures will build a joy in them that will eventually make everyone happy.