Children's Response to a Pregnant Woman's Worries Sends a Powerful and Heart Warming Message About Down Syndrome

A video titled, “Dear Future Mom” has gone viral, receiving over 4 million views on YouTube- and rightfully so. The powerful and touching 3 minute clip features a group of children diagnosed with Down Syndrome addressing and challenging the fears and perceptions regarding the condition. 

The idea for the video began when a pregnant woman, who had just learned her child would be born with Down Syndrome, emailed the National Association of People with Down Syndrome, expressing her worries about the kind of life she should expect her child will have. Her concerns were met with a video response featuring children with the condition reassuring the woman that she should expect that her child will lead a happy and full life, just like they all do. 

The video was released in time for World Down Syndrome Day, a day that works to advocate for the rights of those with the condition as well as raise awareness in hopes that we can all be equals in our journey towards good health and overall wellbeing. 

The message of the video was simple yet very powerful; “Dear Future Mom, your child can be happy. Just like I am. And you’ll be happy too.” 

Click here to watch the beautiful clip, “Dear Future Mom”

Being the Happiest Mom You Can Be

If you ask a mom if she enjoys motherhood, she’ll probably say yes. She will probably tell you it’s tough but rewarding, that it made her life better and that her kids are the light of her life. And I’m not trying to suggest that she’s lying- because those things are all probably true. But most parents are hesitant to tell the whole truth, like it would be a crime to ever suggest that your kids don’t make you happier than before you were a parent. The rewards of being a parent have always been something people have never been afraid to share, however, talking about the difficulties that motherhood brings seems to be more of a taboo subject. Becoming a mother is a beautiful thing that opens up your heart to a kind of love you could have never previously imagined, but don’t have kids because you are trying to become a happier person…because if that is the case, you might be disappointed. 

Being a mother is a rich and rewarding experience, but it can also be emotionally taxing. Luckily, there are ways you can improve your level of satisfaction and happiness as a parent within your daily life. According to Karen Reivich, a research associate in the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, the first step to becoming a happier mom is to recognize how important your job as a mother is and to place a lot of value on it. And once you start acknowledging how you’re basically just short of a

superhero…you'll start enjoying your job more!

The next step to being a happier mom is to not sweat the small stuff. Don’t let yourself get really stressed over the little things, but on the flip side, when you are stressed, it’s okay to admit it. Being stressed out or having a bad day does not make you a bad parent, because we all know being a mom can be seriously stressful sometimes! Having a really bad day? Take a second to have your own private mommy meltdown, then let it go and move on! Reorganize your priorities because there are somethings that you go crazy over that at the end of the day just aren’t that important. If you can afford someone to clean your house, hire them! This way you can have a clean house and spend more time with the kids. A house cleaner doesn’t fit the budget? No big deal but ask yourself, is it really that important for the entire house to be spotless? You could spend the time you use obsessing over having every bed made playing with your kids and I promise you, that will be more fulfilling. 

Part of not letting the little things weigh you down is learning to go with the flow. Psychology studies on happiness have shown that people who can go with the flow and adapt tend to be happier people overall. And this idea can definitely be applied to parenting. So the trip to the zoo you organized isn’t going exactly how you planned…instead of getting stressed out over it, just go with it and make the most out of your situation. Kids can turn almost anything into a game, so take that idea and use it towards your own tasks or chores. Reivich uses the example of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, make it less boring and repetitive by turning it into a cooking show with the kids! It's an easy way to make the most fun out of the least fun situations.

Another key to being a happier mom is to appreciate the small things. Even if it is a ten minute cup of coffee to yourself each morning, savor and enjoy those ten minutes as your own personal morning ritual. Take up yoga as your form of exercise. Start a new hobby like gardening or baking. These things will help you to feel more relaxed and have a more positive outlook on each day. They will also help you to be ready to handle the stressors that will inevitably come your way. 

New Research Raises Questions as to What Truly Makes Parents Happy

In the past, the major focus of parenting has gone to what makes the child happy and what kind of parenting is best for the them. But the last few years have seen a slight shift in this focus, from solely on the happiness of the children to the happiness of the parents as well. This has brought up a lot of curiosity as to what gives adults’ lives true fulfillment and happiness. 

Previously, it has always been thought that having children is what gives people’s lives fulfillment, but recently that has become a topic of debate. The question has become a heavily researched subject, drawing results that conclude there are only small differences between the reported happiness between parents and non parents. These findings raise another question- does true fulfillment derive more from one’s marriage rather than their role as a parent? 

Attempts to answer this question are being made by researchers around the world. A study conducted by Princeton found that 40% of married couples reported being “very happy” while only 23% of unmarried parents reported those same feelings. This could lead us to consider that it is our marital status rather than how many children we have that affects how we feel about our lives. 

Less debated is the observation that the role fathers and mothers play within the household has begun to shift, resulting in a change in the dynamic between spouses as well. In general, today parents spend on average a lot more time with their children then they ever have before. This change is seen especially with fathers, who spend “triple the amount of time with their children than fathers in 1965”. We should also think about how this shift in parenting has affected our satisfaction in our marriage and overall levels of happiness.  

So what does being a parent mean to you? How does it affect the happiness and fulfillment you feel in your life? And how does being a parent play into your happiness as a husband or wife? 

Denmark Ranks #1 for Happiest Country in the World- What They Are Doing Right

A few months ago the World Happiness Report dubbed the beautiful Denmark as the happiest country in the world. The report is based on six factors including a large GDP per capita, perceptions on corruption (specifically within political leaders), perceptions on generosity, healthy life expectancy, social support, and freedom to make life choices. The countries that make it in the top ten generally rank high in most of these categories, but Denmark landed itself at number one by getting off the chart rankings in all six categories. So what is Denmark doing right? And what can other nations do to climb the global happiness ladder closer to number one? 

Side note- the United States currently stands at number 17 on the World Happiness Report. 

1. In Denmark, Health Care is both a civil right and a source of social support

Our current health care system is a very controversial and heavily debated topic at the moment, but in the eyes of Danish people, Denmark seems to be doing it right in that area. Citizens of Denmark perceive health care as a basic right and exercise that right to the fullest extent. According to a survey of family medicine in the country conducted in 2012, Danish people visit their primary care physician an average of seven times a year- compared to Americans who seek medical care fewer than four times a year, including emergency room visits. In Denmark the philosophy behind the large number of visits with their primary care physician is that it will provide them a “single advocate who helps navigate them to more complicated care” when necessary. That many visits with your family doctor will establish a good relationship and allow them to get to know you, and your health, on a more personal level.  

2. Denmark supports their Moms- and Dads

In America women receive an average of 10 weeks of maternal leave, while our fathers receive no leave at all. Denmark sees paternal leave much differently, giving Danish families up to 52 weeks of leave after the birth of a child. Danish mothers are allotted 18 weeks of maternal leave- and they don’t leave out the fathers- giving them up to 2 weeks of leave with pay! The families are then given the choice to use the time that remains in the 52 weeks as they want and need. 

And Denmark’s support for families continues even after the 52 weeks are up, providing all Danish parents with free or low-cost child care. Due to this resource, 79% of Danish women return to work after children, compared to a 59% of American women- meaning they also can return to contributing to the household income. 

3. Danish people have each others backs

Denmark prides themselves as being a society that isn’t about cut throat competition and getting ahead at all costs. They instead believe that part of being a citizen means they have a civic duty and responsibility to help those around them. More than 40% of Danish people participate in volunteer work, something that is widely viewed as a necessary and important part of their culture. During the election in September 2011, 87.7% of Danish citizens voted, a number so high it landed them as the highest rated democracy out of all the 30 established democracies, according to the University of Zurich and the Social Science Research Center Berlin. 

4. They redefine the term “going green”

Research has shown that in Copenhagen, Denmark’s largest city, 50% of people travel to work and school via bicycle! Not only does that improve health and life expectancy, it also reduces pollution, lowers the number of accidents, and saves the country money. A lot of money! According to researchers, 7.8 cents per kilometer biked- totaling over $34 million every year! 

Being happy, fulfilled, and having an overall sense of well-being as a nation is a concept that has been getting a lot more attention over the last few years. And by paying attention to what countries like Denmark or Norway (number two on the Happiness Report) are doing other countries can improve rankings in the six categories the World Happiness Report focuses on.