Is Happiness Learnable?

Science for Joyful Kids and Happier Parents

Raising Happiness

Is Happiness Learnable?

October 22, 2012 | The Main Dish, Posts with Videos | 0 comments

Happiness isn’t only determined by genetics. It’s a skill we can develop with practice.

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Have you been wondering if you can encourage your Eeyore to be a bit sunnier? Or if your cynical spouse could look at the bright side a little more often? This quick video answers those questions.

Convinced, but wondering what skills foster happiness in kids? Start by teaching kindness (see also last week’s quick video), forgiveness, or stress management.

I’d love to know what you think! Post a comment here.

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How to Deal with Mean People
April 15, 2013
Hint: Don’t just turn the other cheek.
My Love-Hate Relationship with Mother’s Day
May 7, 2013
How we’re turning it into a kindness scavenger hunt.
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I Don’t Care How Big the Market Is: Those Are My Daughters
March 28, 2013
Our 12 year olds think thong underwear makes them cool
How to Deal with Mean People
April 15, 2013
Hint: Don’t just turn the other cheek.
My Love-Hate Relationship with Mother’s Day
May 7, 2013
How we’re turning it into a kindness scavenger hunt.

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About this Blog

I’m Christine Carter, Ph.D, a sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. This blog is mostly science-based parenting advice: since I’m reading all the research related to raising happy children anyway, I thought we might as well make it useable to parents. My intention is to bring a scientific framing (what does the research actually say?) to our opinion-based parenting debates and advice. Sorting fact from fiction can be confusing when it comes to parenting.

This blog is also about me and my children. It represents the intersection of my brain and my heart: my intellectual training in the social sciences and my very real, sometimes raw, experiences as a mother.

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@raisinghappines: East Bay folks -- I'll be speaking at the LOPC this Sunday. Hope to see you there! http://t.co/UVwvlT6N

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:33:23 +0000

@raisinghappines: South Bay folks -- hope to see you at the San Jose event tomorrow! Tell your friends. http://t.co/2Hn8yFc6

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:01:17 +0000

@raisinghappines: Check out Janine Kovac's guest post -- it'll tug at your heartstrings. http://t.co/B6uXoWlz

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