Positive Illusions in Parenting: Every Child Is Above Average A W Pinecrest, Florida B J. F 1 Department of Educational and Psychological Studies University of Miami This study examined the paradox between the difficulties of parenting and the high levels of parenting satisfaction in terms of positive illusions. Results were consistent with a positive illusions model, as biological parents with a child between the ages of 2 and 5 reported unrealistically positive views of their children. They rated their own children as possessing more positive and less negative attributes than the average child. The more positively parents rated themselves, the more positively they rated their children. Parents’ self-esteem scores, unrealistically positive ratings of the child, and positive illusions of parenting were related to 3 aspects of the parenting experi- ence. This study extends the literature on positive illusions to encompass parents’ positive illusions about their young children. There is an interesting disconnect in the parenting literature and in parents’ reports on their experiences between the manifest strain of parenting and very high levels of reported parenting satisfaction. On the one hand, raising a child exacts tremendous resources and requires significant sacrifices from parents in financial, emotional, and physical costs. The very real sacri- fices that comprise the parenting experience seem to be curiously absent in the empirical parenting literature. Instead, the idea that parenting is one of the most difficult, challenging, and important jobs often is mentioned only briefly by most researchers as an introductory statement, without being investigated more thoroughly. On the other hand, nearly all Americans choose to become parents, many apparently desiring the satisfactions that they expect will make the long and arduous parenting effort personally worthwhile (Goetting, 1986; U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2003). Indeed, parents overwhelmingly report that they are satisfied with parenting, in spite of the difficulties associated with this role. The almost unanimous decision to have children and widespread self- reported satisfaction with parenting stands in stark contrast to the facts that 1 Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Andrew Wenger, 1501 Venera Ave., Suite 230, Coral Gables, FL 33146. E-mail: andrewwenger@aol.com. 611 Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 2008, 38, 3, pp. 611–634. © 2008 Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing, Inc.