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Ask parents what they most want for their children and they
will likely say, “to be happy.” Raising Happy Kids by
parenting author and workshop leader Elizabeth
Hartley-Brewer offers over 100 tips for parents and
teachers, tips designed to help bring out the best in
children.
These tools and tactics for nurturing self-esteem and
self-reliance are for children of all ages struggling to
find their sense of identity in the world. Practical and
motivating, these tips assist parents, teachers and
caregivers in presenting children with the opportunities to
make their own decisions, learn from their mistakes, grow
and develop and become responsible. In addition, there are
helpful suggestions to encourage children to express
themselves, understand themselves and others, relate to the
world around them, and adapt to changes in their
environment.
Chapters include dealing with punishment issues in ways that
empower a child to learn from mistakes rather than humiliate
or anger them, and also how praise can be used to help
repair the damage of anger and hostility between parent and
child. Teenage years may cause parents exceptional stress,
and this book has some great ideas on how to better
communicate with children, as well as how to encourage them
to open up and express their fears and emotions.
I also found so much of benefit in the chapter "Words
Matter." When we parents can learn to speak to our children
in ways that lift them up instead of put them down, we can
see tremendous differences in their behavior and attitudes.
The power of words to help or harm a child is in our hands,
as the author points out.
Raising Happy Kids also helps re-educate parents in areas of
taking control and authority in ways that will not
intimidate a child, using discipline to help rather than
harm, increase parental self-esteem in order to set good
examples for children, and the power of commitment towards
the well-being of our kids. This is a must-have guide filled
with usable tips, techniques and ideas for parents who truly
want to raise happy, healthy and fulfilled children of all
ages.
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Raising Happy Kids: Over 100 Tips for Parents and Teachers by Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer