Introduction
Theme One: Finding Happiness as a Parent
Want happier kids? Start by becoming happier yourself! Studies show that parents who experience more positive emotions in their own life tend to be warmer and more responsive to their children, making them more able to respond to the needs of their children.
- The Happiness Advantage
- Why Parents’ Happiness Is Important
- Why Parents Aren’t Happy
- The Science Of Change
Theme Two: The Science of Success
Did you know that the best predictor of success in school is not grades or SAT scores, but a quality researchers call “grit”? Gritty people do well because they are able to persist in the face of difficulty. Learn how to foster grit in your children, how to raise their emotional intelligence and improve school performance.
- Two Powerful Things You Can Say to Kids
- Putting Science of Success Into Action
- Perfectionism is a Disease
- How to Foster Grit
Theme Three: Happiness on Autopilot
Incorporate five high-impact habits that will make you — and your kids! — happier into your life. These five important family routines will increase gratitude, family connection, and over-all well-being. Dr. Carter includes clear instructions for making the routines easy to start and fun to stick with.
- Sleep and Exercise Make Us Happy and Smart
- The Power of Family Dinners
- How to Raise Grateful Children
- The Neuroscience of Happy Memories
Theme Four: Boosting Emotional Intelligence and Self-Motivation
Emotion coaching is the key to raising happy, healthy, resilient and well-adjusted children. Dr. Carter discusses the dangers of using bribes, threats and rewards with kids and why kids who are motivated this way may eventually rely on unethical behaviors to fulfill their parents’ expectations.
- How to Emotion Coach Kids
- Just Say No to Bribes, Threats, & Rewards
- Getting Kids to Do Boring But Necessary Tasks
- Inspiring Behavior Changes in Kids
Theme Five: The Science of Great Relationships
Build a foundation for a passionate, long lasting, and joyful romance. A strong relationship with your partner is key to your own happiness and that of your entire family.
- What Types of Problems Do You Have?
- How to Pick a Fight Without Damaging Your Relationship
- Four Things You Can Do to Keep the Flames Alive
- What Science Shows Happy Couples Do
Theme Six: Mindful Parenting
Learn how mindfulness in your children can be leveraged to improve their academic achievement, behavior, mental health, and social relationships. The benefits of mindfulness-based stress reduction are tremendous for your brain and your immune system.
- Why Mindfulness Will Make You a Better Parent
- Parenting Mindfully and Teaching Kids Mindfulness
- Why Play is Important
- Promote Creativity, Practice Savoring, or Foster Flow
Theme Seven: Manufacturing Happiness
Teach your children how to hone their skills of luck, optimism, and generosity. Did you know these are all skills that can be developed? Lucky people are more satisfied with their lives, their family, their health and their careers — what more could we want for our children?
- Can We “Fake It Till We Make It”?
- How to Raise Lucky Kids
- How to Teach Kids Optimism
- How to Raise Kids That Are Kind and Compassionate
Theme Eight: Clearing out Habits, Beliefs
Cut out the unhappiness habits in your life! Learn tools for combating materialism, the solution to the daunting statistics about the mental health of college-bound kids, tips for how to raise siblings who are friends and how to raise forgiving kids.
- BUY, BUY, BUY! Shopping is not a Happiness Strategy
- Pressuring Kids Doesn’t Make them Successful
- Taming Sibling Rivalry
- What to Teach Kids So that They Can Forgive