Happiness for Dummies

I wish it were this easy.

Is there a recipe for how to make a happy kid,

 perhaps hidden in a Junior League cookbook?

If so, I'll follow it step by step and

if it calls for eggs and full fat milk, 

I swear I won't try to substitute skim.

I study teenagers for a living and 

I'll be honest, not all of them are happy.

Actually, a lot of them are pretty 

miserable; that's not acceptable. 

I want a happy kid.

Parents make so many choices for their kids, too 

 many sometimes. What if I make all the wrong ones

and my kid's pluck suffers the consequences?

It's bad enough that school dampens the spirit,

I refuse to further destroy it.

But even if my intentions are true, 

well, sometimes love ain't enough

(just ask Harris and Klebold's parents)

so there's gotta be another piece to the puzzle; after all, 

parents will sacrifice anything for their kids, right?

Which is why I can't help but wonder

if Shaun White's parents ignored Clapton's warnings,

 went down to the Crossroads (R.I.P. Stevie) and 

gave away their mettle in exchange
for their red headed boy's medals.

If so, his smile sure makes that choice seem worthwhile.