Resilient Kids

With so many “experts” touting different approaches to raising thriving children, how do you know which is the best one? Dr. Rhonda Spencer-Hwang, professor of public health at Loma Linda University and mom of three, had the same question. As a member of a community known worldwide for its health and longevity, often referred to as a Blue Zone, she decided to study the area’s many centenarians to find out what they - or their parents - did right in childhood to make them so resilient to stress, disease, and the adversities of life.

In a time when so many children and young adults seem to be struggling, parents are looking for help in bringing up mentally healthy kids who are equipped to thrive. Finally, evidence-based help is now available for overwhelmed parents who are trying their best but feel like they’re falling short.

Has your child experienced racial aggression, bullying, or harassment? Have they ever asked you why they are treated differently? If so, you are not alone. Discrimination and racism in society are a constant stressor and painful topic of conversation for many Black families. In this much-needed resource for parents of Black children, race and mental health expert Erlanger Turner combines evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills with mindfulness and liberation psychology to help your kids cope with race-based stress, challenge systemic oppression and marginalization, and thrive.

Kelly Oriard and Callie Christensen, early childhood experts and founders of the Slumberkins brand of characters supporting emotional learning, provide accessible products and tools for empowering kids to build lifelong emotional intelligence. Written for parents and caregivers, All Feelings Welcome helps you support children in noticing, naming, and welcoming all feelings through the everyday parenting moments and in the more challenging times when you and your child need support.

Bringing Up Bébé meets Last Child in the Woods in this lively, insightful memoir about a mother who sets out to discover if the nature-centric parenting philosophy of her native Scandinavia holds the key to healthier, happier lives for her American children.

Conscious Parenting is not about controlling our kids or who they become. Instead, it is about giving them a foundation that allows them to walk into adulthood with confidence, assertiveness, a deep connection to themselves, emotional and spiritual resiliency, and mental fortitude.

Today's youth-sports experience provokes countless questions for well-intentioned parents. How young should kids start playing sports? Should they specialize—and when? What should a parent do when their kid is not getting the playing time they think their child deserves? How do parents encourage children without overwhelming them? Raising Empowered Athletes has answers for every youth-sports situation with an overarching goal of not only helping parents raise strong athletes but also nurture great human beings who are empowered to succeed on and off the playing field.

Wits Guts Grit is inspired by the many what-if questions acclaimed science writer and mother of two Jena Pincott asked herself as research on the invisible forces that shape our minds and health has emerged and grown over the past decade. What if we identify the microbes that support stress resilience, find ways to expose our kids to them, and then test them?

There's a new set of 3Rs for our kids - respect, responsibility, and resilience - to better prepare them for life in the real world. Once developed, these skills let kids take charge, and let parents step back, to the benefit of all. Casting hover mothers and helicopter parents aside, Vicki Hoefle encourages a different, counterintuitive, yet much more effective, approach to parenting: for parents to sit on their hands, stay on the sidelines - even if duct tape is required!

Witty and straight-shooting, Duct Tape Parenting entertains as it informs parents how to do less in order to raise more confident, capable children.

The good news is our children don't need perfect parents. They need authentic, fully-hearted, relationally engaged parents who can mess up and move on more than parents who always get it right. In this freeing book, respected therapists and best-selling authors Stephen James and Chip Dodd invite parents to let go of perfectionism and micromanaging as they learn to parent from a place of emotional honesty and intimacy. They teach parents that raising children to become capable, loving, and wise-hearted adults is far more about accepting our flaws than projecting an impossible standard.

Every parent has pondered "nature vs. nurture" questions. How much of my child's personality and behavior is inborn? How much is learned? This important book, written by behavioral scientists who are also mothers, has answers. This book offers the best parenting practices to foster resilience by encouraging children's social-emotional development and adaptive stress-regulation strategies. The authors translate scientific research into concrete, actionable tips and recommendations to help promote the emotional wellbeing of both child and parent.

Healthy, thriving children have strong family bonds - but that doesn’t mean their parents need to stay married. A Parent's Guide to Divorce coaches both high-conflict and cooperating parents alike on how to best address children’s needs to become a stronger and closer family than before. From creating a parenting plan to navigating the post-divorce world, this child-centered reference teaches you what to say and do to guide your children through divorce.

In this 10th-anniversary edition of Don't Alienate the Kids attorney, mediator, and therapist Bill Eddy shows listeners how to protect children from the harm of alienation and high-conflict divorce, boosting their resilience by teaching them to think flexibly, manage their emotions, and moderate their behaviors.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Mencius compared children to tender sprouts, shaped by soil, sunlight, water, and, importantly, the efforts of patient farmers and gardeners. At times, children require our protection, other times we must take a step back and allow them to grow. A practical parenting manual, philosophical reflection on the relationship between parent and child, and necessary response to modern stereotypes of Eastern parenting, Little Sprouts and the Dao of Parenting reconsiders cultural definitions of success....

What does it mean to be a good parent? Are you a good parent when your child is compliant, but a bad parent when they're not? What if they're perfect at age three and challenging at 13? And what if your child has additional needs? This is an audiobook about parenting styles and what it takes to be a great parent. We know about tiger parents, helicopter parents, free-range parents, but have you heard of Tesla parents, leaf-blower parents and iPhone 6 parents? We can parent in so many ways, but is there a style that actually works?

Just as sturdy scaffolding is necessary when erecting a building and will come down when the structure grows stable, good parenting provides children with steady and warm emotional nourishment on the path toward independence. Never-ending parental problem-solving and involvement can have the opposite effect, enabling fragility and anxiety over time.

Growing up in a world where we are constantly reminded of our color, Black kids face challenges that their peers might not always understand. Systemic prejudices that persist can cast shadows on their dreams and aspirations and end up having a negative impact on their self-esteem. So it is imperative to realize the transformative power of positive self-talk and positive affirmations. This collection of affirmations is a nurturing embrace, a protective shield, and a guiding star seeking to ensure that every Black child listening to it feels seen, heard, and loved.

Adversity is a normal part of life, and when we keep our children too protected, we rob them of the opportunity to learn and practice essential life skills like discernment, understanding, boldness, and resilience. Using Scripture and principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, Unshakable Kids gives you the tools to equip your children to withstand the negative pressures of society and walk bravely into the world with wisdom.

Middle school can be one of the toughest times in a kid’s life—for them and for their parents and educators. It’s filled with transitions, upheaval, and brand-new experiences that can be overwhelming and intimidating. But licensed clinical professional counselor Phyllis Fagell has put together a practical, evidence-based, and compassionate guide for parents and educators to help their tweens through most challenging situations. Middle School Superpowers teaches middle schoolers how to activate the 12 superpowers they need to discover their strengths and navigate decisions and disappointment.