How Your Child Thinks: Give Your Child the Superpowers to Be a Happy, Healthy Person

by Stephen Briers

In an age where more children are struggling than ever before, how can you raise happy, healthy, fulfilled children... young people who can handle pressure and become successful, independent adults? The secret: give them the skills, tactics, and strategies they need to manage their own lives. In this book, one of the world's most respected child psychologists shows how to do just that, one day, one minute at a time. Dr. Stephen Briers teaches powerful, proactive parenting techniques that don't simply respond to bad behavior, but help keep it from happening in the first place. Drawing on compelling new research on positive psychology, Dr. Briers shows how to cultivate the specific habits of thought that nurture resilience and help "inoculate" against depressive illness; promote happiness and well-being; cultivate personal competence and social confidence; boost your child's problem-solving skills. You'll learn why so many of today's conventional parenting techniques cause more problems than they solve; when to use "carrot and stick" discipline, and when there's a better alternative; why your child is smarter and more capable than you realize and how you can help your child reach his or her fullest potential!

Genres: Parenting

255 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

Reviews

[Rebecca Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read, though most of the strategies are for kids that are at least in preschool, and most are really tailored for elementary to younger secondary ages. I have a toddler, so this guy will stay on my shelf for reference as my little gets older.

Related, this isn't a "how to" manual; it serves to give insight into the mental processes of children, and ways to help them develop emotional coping strategies. Truthfully, some of the things in here were good for me to think about myself!

While this isn't a long or particularly dense text, it's a little bit technical, and might not be very accessible for people with zero baseline understanding of psychology or child development. Since I'm also an educator, many of the concepts in here weren't new. Because it's more technical, this isn't one of those books you fly through, and you shouldn't. Take each chapter at a time, and give yourself time to digest it and maybe try out a few things.

[Meredith Henning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, I need to check it out again as I read it so fast, but it's very insightful into the minds of young children and how we think about them.