I loved an article written by Paul Dalton in articlescollections.com called “Happiness – Just How Do You Do It?”

Dalton says that adults refer to the “pursuit of happiness” or “I’ll be happy when…” Happiness for most is conditional and placed in the future. He says that we even refer to ourselves as the human race implying that we are chasing something.

On the other hand, declares Dalton, “But look at a child. Children are much smarter than adults when it comes to being happy. For them it is just a state of being. They don’t place conditions on when they will and when they won’t feel it. As long as they’re not hungry, in pain, or being told off, they are happy. It’s their default program.”

This article really made me think, not so much about my level of happiness, but about the interaction between an adult and child. When, how and why do we change our expectations? Why does the experience of happiness change from a natural experience of entitlement to something that has to be earned?

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Marsha Jacobson is author of "Boom... Boom... Boom...: A Story to Raise Your Child's Emotional Intelligence". She is a regular contributor of mychildfeels.com and you can visit her website at marshajacobson.com.