Should parents protect children from experiencing unhappiness?

by Assassin~ Badass Buzz Guru Posted 2012/06/08 01:59:08

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	Yes	22 votes	15%
	No	124 votes	85%

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Brosia 2012/07/01 03:05:59

No

Unhappiness is a part of life. If you protect your kids from it, then you are setting them up to fail when you finally get tired of cleaning up their messes. Unless you want them living in your basement for the rest of your life, eating your food and bitching about how they can't get laid.

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martin28 2012/06/11 07:06:46

Yes

Unhappiness is a part of the ups and downs of life I can't imagine a parent that would purposely allow their child to experience an unhappy situation.

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The River Rat 2012/06/10 20:26:11

Yes

I want my two kids to be happier than I was growing up. I will try to do all I can to make that happen.

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Raphy 2012/06/10 19:17:07

No

It's a part of growing up. Just help them to get thru it.

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♀☛I'm~Totally~Иormal☚ 2012/06/10 18:19:37

No

+1
It's life.. GET OVER IT!!

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bashfulsleepy 2012/06/10 17:18:49

No

Experience is the tool that teaches us how to live life. I don't see how a child will cope with adulthood if he never experiences any disappointment.

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bob 2012/06/10 02:26:00

No

Not Possible it part of Life and part of Growing up.

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mae 2012/06/09 23:13:13

No

Good Qestion. Parents do try to prevent unnecessary harm and heartache, but it's impossible to avoid the myriad life experiences that come our way. Standing by a child who is experiening unhappiness is the very best medicine there is.

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Gwendolyn Harper 2012/06/09 23:01:30

No

+2
What exactly do you mean? I mean, if they're about to go off a cliff, for God's sakes, yell!

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Vision of Verve 2012/06/09 21:28:08
sky 2012/06/09 17:53:06

Yes

Every chance they get.

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Morgan 2012/06/09 17:18:28

No

I hate to say this but they can't. If parents protect their children from all unhappiness they will never be able to truly feel happy. Happiness without sadness is empty. And if they are sheltered like that as kids, when they finally do become unhappy from something their parents couldn't protect them from they wouldn't know how to handle being unhappy. The lesson of unhappiness is a neccessary evil.

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Goth 2012/06/09 15:23:05

No

Actually, parents should know that they're the one causes their children to be experiencing unhappiness. Seriously, nobody thought about it?

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Christopher Kirchen 2012/06/09 15:18:11

No

It's a part of life and in order to do that they would have to practically make the kid live in a bubble.

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Kibelle 2012/06/09 14:02:44

No

Unhappiness is sometimes necessary for children to learn and grow up. Best parents could do is giving their children advice on how to tolerate it and move on.

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Queen B 2012/06/09 13:28:32

No

It's part of life, just like natural consequences are for one's actions. Helicopter parents who swoop in to "save" their little darlings from any kind of discomfort are doing their children no favors in the long run.

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Charmaine 2012/06/09 08:02:59

No

Their kids are not prepared for life!!!

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Jdogg 2012/06/09 05:09:00

No

This is part of life they really need to know about.

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jaydenvdv 2012/06/09 05:01:27

No

It's not a rainbows and chocolate cake kinda world! Get use to it

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Mz Understood 2012/06/09 04:22:17

No

But they should be there to help them get through it if need be.

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Texas Gal 2012/06/09 00:29:15

No

+1
Sheltering children from the facts of life only makes it harder for them when they reach an age where there isn't anyone to shelter them from the not so fun parts. I think it can actually make it considerably harder on them if they are sheltered when they are young. Sooner or later we all have to deal -- might as well be sooner.

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KilrQueen 2012/06/08 22:50:13

No

Children need to learn to deal with all emotions. This is what's wrong with kids today, everyone is trying to protect their little feelings from being hurt and what's really happening is that we are creating little monster who care for no one except themselves.

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Solomonster 2012/06/08 21:59:43

No

The sooner they figure out the world as a whole is a very cruel place, & does not care about you as an individual. The sooner they can move forward at working on taking care of themselves. The longer you hold them to this fiction of "It will all work out because I will always be there to help make sure it does". They will never wake up & realize that life is a b!tc#. And they will hide under your wing until the day you die.

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CTF 2012/06/08 21:22:30

No

As difficult as it may be to see our kids unhappy from time to time... It's just part of life.

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Sadness4ever 2012/06/08 20:55:30

Yes

Of course. The child needs a balancing life.

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The Judge 2012/06/08 20:39:25

Yes

Yes, to an extent. You can not eliminate unhappiness but you can mitigate the causes. You need to encourage kids in what ever they are interested inn. You need to set positive examples for them. Anyone that said no too this I think they mixed up "experienced " with "eliminate".

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♥☯ ʂıoвнaп ☮♥ 2012/06/08 20:19:56

No

I actually think it depends on the situation. For the most part, no because unhappiness can make one wiser, will give him or her life experiences, and will teach coping skills, all of which are very necessary for a child to have. If a child doesn't have these because the parents failed to teach them, they will have a lot of trouble in the adult world when they're on their own.
However, if we're referring to things like emotional and physical abuse from anyone, then yes. Parents, especially parents of young children, should protect their kids from abuse if it's necessary for them to step in...parents are there to protect as well as teach.

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Seonag 2012/06/08 20:18:25

No

Though every parent wants to protect their children, learning to deal with the unhappy moments of life is necessary in order to succeed as adults.

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3kidsandamom 2012/06/08 20:15:00

No

This only gives them a false sense of reality so when they end up in the real world they are emotionally incapable of coping with life. Parents who attempt to do this are doing a disservice to their children when they grow up!

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Heisenberg 2012/06/08 19:58:40

Yes

+1
Unecessary suffering, yes but pain teaches important lessons.

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Hirnungah Mancandy 2012/06/08 18:48:45

No

YOU have to learn how to handle things like death and disappointment as a child in order to function properly as an adult . it's called 'growing up'.

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Keith 2012/06/08 18:30:22

No

Its not advisable or possible.

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rockyjr5 2012/06/08 17:59:27

Yes

Unhappiness makes kids want to give up in life, and become bad people.

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Curmudgeon 2012/06/08 17:30:26

No

+1
It's a crazy ideal to shield you child from anything bad when they are young, what do they do when they experience it as you're not there to protect them?

In life bad things happen sometimes, lying to kids and pretending life is always perfect is not healthy.

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Papillon 2012/06/08 17:21:57

No

+1
But more and more, that's what they're doing. Protecting instead of teaching. Parents' hands being tied with disciplinary limits. Play dates. WTF?

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Denny 2012/06/08 17:15:24

No

+1
That's what has gotten us into the mess we're in right now. Can't have any losers in compitition. Can't live with neighbors you don't know where those people have been. Maybe their gonna kidnap and kill the kids......

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cate 2012/06/08 17:15:17 (edited)

Yes

As best and most they can. But happiness offers no protection, no guarantees. Life is what it is. Take it while we can.

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Sparky to cate 2012/06/08 20:08:15 (edited)
cate to Sparky 2012/06/08 21:38:48

Like you.

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Sparky to cate 2012/06/09 03:22:52