Article continues after the ad.

When my son’s preschool teacher called me last month and said, "He’s been a little moody lately, crying often," I thought nothing of it, until I discussed this with a friend, who added, "I lay clear ground rules to stop temper tantrums and yelling."

Well, I feel like screaming when my boss does something mean to me, and my three year old needs to be disciplined for even expressing some basic emotions? And then I felt very angry.

Why is it that a three-year-old showing normal human emotions sends adults into panic mode? Why do we expect children to be perpetually beaming sunshine machines while we, the grown-ups, can barely hold it together for a full workday?

I'm a 24-year-old parent. I grew up in the golden age of "good vibes only" social media, and I’m here to say it:

Forcing kids to be happy all the time is emotional abuse dressed up in pastel colors.

Happiness Isn’t the Default. It’s One of Many Emotions.

We act like sadness, anger, frustration, fear, and boredom are viruses we must shield our kids from — or worse, signs that something is wrong with them.

But here’s the thing: children aren’t defective when they’re upset. They’re human.

A close friend of mine, who teaches kindergarten, said it best:

"Half the behavioral issues we diagnose could probably be solved if adults just let kids be mad without punishment."

Think about that. We punish kids for frowning. We bribe them to stop crying. We gaslight them out of their anger, even when it's just a cry for attention. The kid's probably having difficulty saying, Mommy, leave your doomscrolling for a minute and play with me. And then we wonder why they grow up into adults who have panic attacks for feeling anything less than “grateful.”

The Cult of the Smiling Child

Look at any ad for a toy, a daycare center, a "family-friendly" vacation: smiling kids, smiling moms, smiling dads. No meltdowns, no slammed doors, no tear-streaked faces.

The message is loud and clear: a good child is a happy child, and a happy child is quiet, obedient, and pleasing to look at. In fact, when I send people pictures of my children, often people compliment on how happy I'm raising them to be.

But real kids are messy. They rage. They cry. They pout. They’re allowed to.

Forcing them to hide those parts for our comfort isn’t love.

It’s control.

It’s conditioning.

It teaches them that their worth is tied to how palatable they are to adults. Which is true actually!

My Home is Not a Stage

In our house, my daughter is allowed to have “bad days.”

If she’s mad because her toy broke, she’s allowed to scream about it.

When my son starts a fit of anger or cries uncontrollably, I allow him to for a few seconds before asking, what's wrong?

If she’s sad because her best friend didn’t want to play that day, she’s allowed to cry and sulk without anyone saying, "Smile, sweetie, it’s not that bad."

I’m not raising a mascot. I’m raising a human being with a full emotional spectrum.

A Bold Stance: Stop Rewarding Fake Smiles

Here’s my challenge to every parent, teacher, grandparent, or random adult who thinks a “good kid” is a happy kid:

Stop complimenting kids for being cheerful. Start praising them for being honest.

When your nephew frowns? Let him.

When your student snaps, "I’m mad!" don’t correct it. Acknowledge it. Respect it.

When your child says, "I don’t want to talk right now," honor that boundary.

Because every time we force a child to fake a smile, we are telling them: your real feelings are wrong.

And one day, when they’re 30, they’ll wonder why they can't say no to their boss, why they stay in toxic relationships, why they smile through situations that make them want to scream.

It starts here. With us. With them. With their right to not be okay.

#ChildDevelopment #ParentingTips #EmotionalHealth #Discipline #Preschool