Goals for parents can take the shape of child-centered goals (I want my child to sleep through the night) or parent-centered personal goals that do not involve the child (I want to speak Spanish). Perhaps the greatest opportunity for flourishing, as parents, is to ensure that there is a healthy balance between the two.

With a wellspring of research suggesting that children do not increase levels of happiness, why do some people choose to have kids? They choose based on more than a desire to maximize happiness. They choose based on meaning. Despite the decline in happiness, meaningfulness rises among couples choosing to have children.

In the parenting section of any bookstore, you will find a vast array of survival guides with proven tools and strategies for getting through life with kids. But in survival mode, the level of happiness and well-being of parents is endangered. So, how do we as parents move our partnerships from endangered happiness to flourishing?

Paying attention to your children sets the stage for engagement and connection. You are creating mental models that form a secure base of attachment for their growth and development. If you think you need to reengage and experience flow more frequently when playing with your children, here are some suggestions.

Parenting is a life domain which can dramatically effect well-being. Men and women grapple with a new identity realizing that they are fathers and mothers, with all of the negative and positive connotations. They have a new role, one that can be heavily influenced by societal norms and pressures. However, the five pillars of well being, when applied to the parenting domain, can lead to flourishing families.

Elizabeth Elizardi, MAPP ’10, has over eleven years combined experience as a teacher, school administrator, early childhood consultant, and parent educator.  
Elizabeth is currently a Leadership Coach with Leading Educators,
a nonprofit organization in New …