Sociologist Shares "The Science of Raising Happy Kids

\"Happiness is a learned skill," says Dr. Christine Carter of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Judging by her engaging and contagious smile, Dr. Carter has learned more than a few things about happiness - knowledge that she`s gained from her own parenting as well as her studies as a sociologist. And she was more than happy to share her knowledge with other parents during a presentation to Hawken parents in early December. Dr. Carter`s parenting nuggets are based in scientific research, one powerful example being that only half of a child`s disposition is determined by genetics. That leaves a whole lot of "wiggle room," says Dr. Carter, for shaping children into happy children. Controlled tests have determined that several things lead to a child`s successes and therefore happiness: attributing children`s accomplishments to their efforts rather than their innate abilities; teaching children the value of practice, hard work and learning from failures; and finally, focusing on gratitude rather than entitlement. Dr. Carter ended her presentation by talking about the importance of unstructured time and family dinners, both of which are sometimes found in short supply in our fast-paced lives. More helpful information, in Dr. Carter`s own positive words, can be found at the Greater Good Science Center website where you can read Dr. Carter`s blog and watch video clips on topics such as "Turn off the Boob-Toob," "How Not to Raise an Ungrateful Brat," and "Changing Bad Habits Into Good Ones.\"