So very true. I have a funny story about children's happiness. I have been dealing with social workers some time ago (mainly because I homeschool, live remotely, and we don't vaccinate...I must be a complete nutjob right?). When one of them in a meeting asked me about why I 'didn't just send the kids to school' I told her that if I would see for even one moment that my children weren't happy, I would change things to make them happy. She asked: 'But is that in the best interest of the children?' To which I (startled) replied: 'Well, my children's happiness is paramount to me.' And she repeated: 'But is it in their best interest?'
I was stunned. But it showed me that these people, who are supposed to be professionals, really don't have a clue. In my opinion, their happiness is in their best interest. If that is school, then so be it. But there seems to be this misconception about that school, college, university, work and paying off student loans, buying a car and house, makes people happy.
I am not taking that from them, if that's what they want, they can.
But what I try to teach them now is that they can be who they want to be, whether it makes them happy to clean streets, or to be a pilot. As long as they're happy.