Read this article published in the May 2014 issue of Sciences Humaines magazine.

Fifty years ago, the question of children’s well-being was absent from the debate. Today, however, it has become a key issue for professionals and parents alike. Numerous symposia, research studies and popular works have taken up this discussion.

The question of individual well-being has never been so (im)relevant. The well-being of adults, of course, but also that of our toddlers. Since the advent of pediatrics, psychoanalysis and a few key works from the late ^19th century, children, once considered mere digestive tubes and adults in the making, have been promoted to the rank of individuals in their own right. Persons » whose uniqueness, desires and needs must be respected. If the Doltoist reign of the child-king seems to be on the wane, the question of how these budding epicureans can blossom has come to the fore. For the past twenty years, and in the last five years in particular, researchers and specialists have been tackling the question of their well-being.

• Measuring children’s well-being: a major challenge

But how do you measure it? What objective criteria should be used? « In general, it’s mood. A child is in a state of well-being when his or her mood is even, stable, cheerful and dynamic », says Aldo Naouri, pediatrician, psychoanalyst and author of « L’enfant bien portant »[i]. Didier Pleux, doctor in developmental psychology, clinical psychologist and author of « Un enfant heureux ». [ii] and « Françoise Dolto. La déraison pure « [iii] For the past few decades, specialists wishing to assess the well-being of these three-headed hedonists have focused on observable criteria: do children spontaneously express satisfaction? Does he express positive emotions? Does he engage in activities of his own accord? Consortia of researchers have developed national and international indices based on empirical data. [iv]. In England, the Child Well-Being Index (CWI ) focuses on children’s material well-being, health, education, delinquency, housing and environmental quality. In the USA, the Child and Youth Well-BeingIndex is based on seven distinct domains, including family economic well-being, the presence of risk behaviors, social relationships, emotional and spiritual well-being, academic skills, community involvement and health.

• No to consumption, yes to frustration!
  

However, contrary to popular belief, the richest, best-educated and most spoiled child – the archetypal « ideal child » of the ^21st century – is not the happiest. According to Alain Sotto, psychopedagogue, president of the Association de Recherches en Neuropédagogie (ARN) and author of « Que se passe-t-il dans la tête de votre enfant? » (Ixelles Editions, 2011), both the dunce position and the brilliant student position are exposed to pressure from parents, teachers and other students, a real brake on well-being. The most fulfilled child would be the « average » pupil, who takes advantage of school to feed his or her curiosity while maintaining a discreet stance towards those around him or her[v]. Researchers, meanwhile, have focused on the link between self-fulfillment and children’s tendency to consume. According to a study conducted by the University of Amsterdam in 2012, the more unhappy a child is, the more sensitive he or she will be to television advertising, and the more likely he or she is to believe that owning products is a source of fulfillment and success. [vi]. Indeed, as Suzanne Opree, director of the study, points out, advertising teaches children that fulfillment is achieved through possession, a mindset that the least satisfied children cling to. It’s a mentality that’s not about to weaken: every year, British children are exposed to an average of 10,000 ads on the small screen, compared with 40,000 for American children, or around 109 a day. « In the ^21st century, children are over-stimulated, over-consumed, over-communicated and over-protected. Too much is being done. No, permissive parenting doesn’t make you happy! By dint of trying to preserve it, we weaken it ». insists Didier Pleux. A point confirmed by Aldo Naouri: « This emphasis on the child has given rise to what I call « infantolatry ». This is harmful because, as soon as we idolize a child, we seek to satisfy it, to fulfill it. This kills his precious desire. Specialists agree that frustration remains the cornerstone of a child’s development. Making a child happy means above all teaching them to postpone satisfaction, to (re)discover the taste for effort and to live in accordance with the principle of reality. For better or for worse.

French kids less happy than Slovenians

In 2009, on the basis of 26 indicators, including standard of living, education, health and protection against risks, the Innocenti research center of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) published a comparison of child well-being in the various countries of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)*. The verdict? France ranked ^13th, behind Slovenia, the United States ^26th, and Romania ^29th and last. UNICEF deplores the fact that austerity policies in rich countries penalize children. Nordic countries such as the Netherlands, Norway, Iceland, Finland and Sweden top the list.

* Suzanna J. Opree, Moniek Buijzen, Patti M. Valkenburg (2012). Lower life satisfaction related to materialism in children frequently exposed to advertising. Pediatric

[1] Odile Jacob, 2010

[2] Odile Jacob, 2010

[3] Autrement, 2013

[4] « Bien-être des jeunes enfants dans l’accueil et l’éducation en France et ailleurs », Actes du colloque des 10 et 11 octobre 2011, Drees – CAS, Coll. Études et statistiques, 2013, 182 p. ISBN : 978-2-11-129990-0

[5] « Are good students happy children? » published in 2012 on the La Croix website. http://www.la-croix.com/Famille/Education/Les-bons-eleves-sont-ils-des-enfants-heureux-_NP_-2012-10-23-877537

[6] Suzanna J. Opree, Moniek Buijzen, Patti M. Valkenburg (2012). Lower life satisfaction related to materialism in children frequently exposed to advertising. Pediatric