Anyone who’s ever read this blog knows my family is at the top of my priority list.  But as someone who writes about the difference between happiness and a happy life, I feel obligated to share some disturbing news: families may be hazardous.

Penelope Trunk, one of my favorite bloggers, recently linked to an article in New York Magazine titled All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting.  It wasn’t like I hadn’t noticed during my childless years how most parents seek out company with hopes of dumping their parental responsibilities.  But turns out there’s also a ton of research, including work by Nobel Prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman, that shows “parents are not happier than their childless peers, and in many cases are less so.”

It all started innocently enough. I wanted my child to like vegetables and whole grains.  For a long time, that’s all I fed her.  Then as she got older, I introduced some sweets (I didn’t want it to become the forbidden fruit), but only at occasions like birthday parties and Halloween.

The great news is that by and large, my strategy has worked.  My daughter loves all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables.  I’ve even dubbed her The Accidental Vegetarian, due to her preference for veges over meat.  There’s one little problem: her mother is still addicted to cookies and candy bars.

I didn’t want to take my daughter to the beach.  I told myself she’s a naturally cautious kid, and was sure to lose her enthusiasm soon after arrival.  Frankly, I don’t much like the beach myself: it’s hot, it’s sandy, and a great place to get skin cancer.  Plus, it just hasn’t been convenient. 

I was swamped at work, or we were moving, and after that, unpacking.  If it wasn’t for my 20 year high school reunion, held right on St. Pete Beach, I’d probably still be making excuses (despite my guest post over at Pink…Like The Color extolling parents to travel more with their children).  My daughter had a blast kicking at waves, building sandcastles, and sliding on and off (and on and off) a friend’s floatie.  She wasn’t intimidated by the beach one bit, even after taking a wave to the face.  All that enthusiasm on her part translated into one terrific family vacation for all of us (and maybe even a re-evaluation of the merits of the beach).