Does Pushing Our Kids Towards Success Mean Pushing Them Away from Happiness?

February 7, 2014

“I’m an executive assistant,” say with a smile.

“Oh.” Disinterest crosses his face. “That’s like a secretary, right?” I can see his perception of my IQ plummet.

“Yes,” I reply without losing my smile. The conversation continues as he, an engineer, tries to find common ground for a conversation. I ask him about his job and watch with…

Mandy Dawson is the creator of In Mandyland, an almost daily blog recording her adventures in juggling a full-time job, two active children, four arguing hens, a fluffy bunny, and one ex-husband. A self-diagnosed gardening and crafting addict, she often finds herself gluing together clay pots and trying to discover the cure for brown thumb. When she’s not writing, she can be found burning dinners while she stares off into space with a story idea. She was a regular contributor for Makes Fun of Stuff, Aiming Low, and Six Kitchens, and has been featured on BlogHer and Mamapedia. She is an Assistant Editor for Write on Edge and has had her fiction featured in three anthologies currently available on Amazon.