Happy Kid Handbook: How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World The

Product Description

Parenting today has gotten far too complicated. It's never been the easiest job in the world, but with all the 'parenting advice' parents are met with at every corner, it's hard not to become bewildered. It seems that in the past it was a good deal simpler. You made sure there was dinner on the table and the kids got to school on time and no one set anything on fire, and you called it a success. But today everybody has a different method for dealing with the madness - attachment parenting, free-range parenting, mindful parenting. And who is to say one is more right or better than another? How do you choose?

The truth is that whatever drumbeat you march to, all parents would agree that we just want our kids to be happy. It seems like a no-brainer, right? But in the face of all the many parenting theories out there, happiness feels like it has become incidental. That's where The Happy Kid Handbook by child and adolescent psychotherapist and parenting expert Katie Hurley comes in. She shows parents how happiness is the key to raising confident, capable children. It's not about giving in every time your child wants something so they won't feel bad when you say no, or making sure that they're taking that art class, and the ballet class, and the soccer class (to help with their creativity and their coordination and all that excess energy). Happiness is about parenting the individual, because not every child is the same, and not every child will respond to parenting the same way. By exploring the differences among introverts, extroverts, and everything in between, this definitive guide to parenting offers parents the specific strategies they need to meet their child exactly where he or she needs to be met from a social-emotional perspective. A back-to-basics guide to parenting, The Happy Kid Handbook is a must-have for any parent hoping to be the best parent they can be.

'A clear and thoughtful approach to parenting your individual child. In a world full of stresses on parents and children, what a relief to read about parenting strategies that focus on my unique child, and on raising an empathetic, happy, and confident person. I would highly recommend this book for all the individual parents and their one-of-a-kind kids!' Idina Menzel, Tony Award-winning actress and singer

'The Happy Kid Handbook is a must-read for parents who want joyful households without all the stress of 'perfect' parenting.' Soleil Moon Frye, author of Happy Chaos and Let's Get This Party Started

'Any mother of big kids will tell you that the exhausting days of infancy were a breeze! I love Katie's real-life approach to surviving our children's childhood, and being the best parents we can for them. Here's to happy kids . . . and sane parents!' Jill Smokler, New York Times-bestselling author of Confessions of a Scary Mommy

'We've all heard the popular saying, 'To know you is to love you,' but these words have never come to life quite the way they do in The Happy Kid Handbook. Katie Hurley has a profound understanding of how to tap into children's individual strengths, personality traits, and interests to better connect, communicate, and empower them. Katie shows parents how to guide their children to their fullest potential without sacrificing their inner peace and inherent joy.' Rachel Macy Stafford, New York Times-bestselling author of Hands Free Mama

'In a fun-to-read, conversational style, Katie Hurley brings her experience as a child psychotherapist and parent to bear in helping parents think clearly and calmly about their relationship with their child. The focus is right where it should be - on happiness. Children differ great