Raising a Kid Who Can: Simple Strategies To Build a Lifetime of Adaptability and Emotional Strength

In a complicated, breakneck-speed world that scientists believe will only accelerate for the next generation, parents still aim to raise kids with traits such as adaptability, independence, motivation, compassion, gratitude, and resilience. Mental health professionals McCarthy, Heather Tedesco, and Jennifer Weaver present parents with engaging brain science–backed advice for incorporating these values into their family and determining how they will enable children (and parents) to thrive. They cover five principles for parents to adopt: “Resilience,” “Attention and Self-Control,” “Psychological Flexibility,” “Self-Motivation,” and “Compassion and Gratitude.” Their book is formatted like a travel guide; each chapter contains a summary takeaway section, an in-the-trenches story from case study parents, and an illustration of why the featured principle is important. The authors contrast the rewards and punishment mindsets present in today’s society.