Do you feel children should be sheltered from unhappiness?

Question

Why or why not?

Answer

Absolutely not. I would never intentionally cause unhappiness, but I won't protect my son from it. He needs to learn to navigate disappointment, sadness, anger and really all emotions. Also, the world isn't going to care about his happiness, he's not the sun, the world doesn't revolve around him. The sooner he learns that the sooner he will learn how to function in the world throughout his life.

Answer

Without unhappiness you take true happiness for granted!

Answer

If you shelter your kids from everything they will never learn. Obviously certain things they should be sheltered from, but generally speaking no.

Answer

Without unhappiness, they will never appreciate actual happiness. Or even really understand. Also life has lots of ups and downs. Sheltering them from the down could prevent ways to cope with bad. And not always going to be with them 24/7 when they're older. So let them learn, and help teach ways to handle it.

Answer

No because they'd have a rude awakening when they are on their own.

Answer

No. Not at all. I just had this conversation with my parents. My mom got a TON of shit for taking us to our "aunt's" funeral (good family friend) when we were little. But it taught me that life happens. I don't believe you should shield kids from stuff like that... I mean, don't take them to a homicide crime scene... but you have to let them know that life isn't always sunny.

Answer

No, I think they should be taught healthy coping skills when bad things happen. Which they inevitably will at times because that's just life. I have friends who were sheltered to an extreme and now they have trouble handling the ins and outs of everyday life.

Answer

Im in a strange situation where my son seeing my unhappiness is causing extreme disturbances in his behaviour and mood.... So yes i am sheltering him from it,

Cut out my issue for the most part (my mentally ill mother).... My son (3) is not allowed to see her, or hear her on the phone with me... Her number is blocked and if she wishes to speak to me she can leave a voicemail and il call her after the kids are in bed

I do not typically interfere with him seeing different things like unhappiness but a three year old should not be crying while im on the phone, peeing his pants and acting out when he sees grandma, or seeing mommy very upset for days on end. As he gets older i can begin to explain the reason why grandma is "sick" and what he can expect from her in terms of behaviour. He is my main concern and being their as an able bodied parent is my top priority now

Answer

To a certain degree, yes. There are some adult stresses that kids don't need to be a part of. They want a new outfit for school? You can tell them that it costs too much and not spill all of your financial worries on them.

Answer

While I want my hypothetical kid to have a happy life, I don't think it's a good idea to shelter them from negative feelings. It's part of life. I'm personally weird about sheltering any kid because my parents did that to me. I didn't take risks, I didn't learn to do important things until much later on in life. It sucked, I'm pretty sure it's contributed to my anxiety. I think it's important to take risks, deal with failure, etc, because that how they might learn from it.

Do you feel children should be sheltered from unhappiness?

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