you can try something like this:
$('a').click(function(e) {
e.preventDefault();
var scr = $('#target').offset().top; // top offset of the target element
$('html, body').animate({scrollTop: scr}, 1000)
})
DEMO
Instead of trying to manipulate how the DOM elements work, wouldn't it be much easier to change your jQuery selector? http://api.jquery.com/parent-selector/