The Myth of the Happy Kid: Why Your Child Doesn’t Need to Be Happy All the Time

What if trying to keep your child happy is making parenting harder? In this episode, pediatric psychologist Dr. Mark Bowers challenges the myth of the “happy kid” and explains why constant happiness is not the goal of healthy childhood development. For parents of neurodivergent kids, the pressure to prevent every meltdown, disappointment, anxious moment, or emotional struggle can quickly turn into exhausting mood management. You’ll learn the difference between happiness and emotional regulati...