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

Psychiatrist McCarthy, psychologist Tedesco, and therapist Weaver debut with a solid program on how parents can “protect and prepare” kids to face “the ordinary challenges of today.” They outline 10 “essential” skills “every child needs in order to thrive,” including focus, gratitude, independence, motivation, and resilience. To help children with “tolerating difficult feelings,” the authors suggest parents expand their kids’ emotional vocabulary and teach them to complete the sentence “I feel ____ about ____ because ____” when distressed. Providing advice on assisting kids in coping with their anxiety, the authors counsel parents to ask them, “What’s the worst that could happen?” “How likely is that to happen?” and “Could you handle it if that happened?” Scientific background bolsters the straightforward suggestions, as when the authors recommend encouraging independence by tasking kids with chores, noting a Harvard University study that found kids who did chores were more likely to have a strong work ethic as adults. The “tough love” advice makes for a potent corrective to helicopter parenting, as when the authors advocate for assigning “your child tasks they are terrible at” and refraining from monitoring them so they can practice while gaining a sense of independence. It’s a valuable guide for helping kids help themselves. (Sept.)