Product Description

Millions of loving parents say that their children's happiness is the most important thing. But what these well-intentioned moms and dads don't know is that a certain kind of devotion to the happiness creed hurts, rather than helps, both generations. It's perhaps the leading cause, the authors argue, of the increasing incidence of youth worry, anxiety, and depression. We all want our kids to be happy, but there's a secret behind making it happen that every parent should know. This surprising and highly readable book, drawing from twenty years of research in the happiness field, reveals that secret, and gives parents a blueprint for aiming their kids toward authentically happy lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #141042 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
"Our devotion to our children's happiness can sometimes lead us astray. This excellent and important book describes the common missteps every parent should know about." --Edward Hallowell, M.D., author of Driven to Distraction and The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness

"This book feels so new and rich...the perfect guide for parents who want their children to enjoy truly contented lives...This wise book points the way." --Kama Einhorn, Senior Editor, Sesame Street Magazine

"This relevant book gets it just right. The key to real happiness isn't by keeping a smile on our kids' faces. The important lessons for parents to impart are all inside this practical and helpful book." --Antoinette M. Saunders, Ph.D., author of The Stress-Proof Child: A Loving Parent's Guide

About the Author
Aaron Cooper, Ph.D., is a Harvard-educated psychologist and teacher with more than thirty years of experience working with children and families. He is Director of FamilyMattersOnline at The Family Institute at Northwestern University.
Eric Keitel, M.Ed., has been a teacher and principal for the past 16 years. He is Director of Family Education at an independent school on Chicago's north side.

Customer Reviews

CHALLENGING SOCIETY'S ADDICTION TO HAPPINESS ... A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Counter-intuitive, very powerful, very thought-provoking...
Well-written and engaging...
A great guide for parents, who are trying to raise nice, grounded, optimistic, resilient citizens!

The Boobird of Happiness
What? We shouldn't want our kids to be happy? Not really, say Aaron Cooper, Ph.D. & Eric Keitel, M.Ed. Instead of focusing on their being happy all the time (causing them to pretend to be happy when they really aren't), we should teach them to accept the full range of feelings so they can handle disappointment, fear, anger, etc.

The authors say that this "...want them to be happy" mantra makes us captive to our kids' moods, feel guilt when they aren't happy, and prevents their learning to cope with adversity.

As co-author of THE COMPLETE SINGLE FATHER, I've heard how single dads who often have their kids part time, every other weekend, or just on holidays, feel they need to make their kids happy to "prove" that they're still a good parent. No doubt single moms feel similarly.

Rather than focusing on our kids being happy, we need to let them know that it's important to be healthy, caring, find meaning in their lives, have fine character, practice acts of loving kindness, and be spiritual.

I JUST WANT MY KIDS TO BE HAPPY is a most unusual and thought provoking book. Whether you're a parent, grandparent, teacher, spiritual advisor, etc., this is a special book to open your mind to what really matters in your life and your children's lives and to prepare them for whatever life brings.

I highly recommend this book.

Elaine Fantle Shimberg
ElainesBooks.com
TheCompleteSingleFather.com

Uncommon sense!
As a former teacher with a degree in Early Childhood Education and Human Development, I found this to be a refreshingly thoughtful book. Well-researched, yet easy to read, "I Just Want My Kids To Be Happy..." is filled with insightful, practical suggestions for anyone interested in the well-being of children and the quality of life we share with them.