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Growing Happy Kids: How to Foster Inner Confidence, Success, and Happiness
We all want children to be happy and grow into productive, fulfilled adults, and according to parenting expert Maureen Healy, the secret to that success is in providing a foundation of inner confidence. With twenty years of experience as a spiritual teacher and child development expert, Healy knows that confidence is never "out there" but is something to be cultivated from inside.Healy literally traveled the world in search of the best practices in raising inwardly strong children and the connection between inner confidence and lasting happiness. In Growing Happy Kids, she draws on her Buddhist training, her background in child psychology, and the latest scientific research. The result is her insightful model for creating inner confidence and cultivating a sense of emotional strength that lays the foundation for children's happiest lives.Anyone who touches the life of a child--parents, teachers, school administrators, grandparents, clinicians--will gain wise ideas and practical suggestions for nurturing a child's sense of confidence and ultimately, happiness.
264 pages, Paperback
First published April 3, 2012
7 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Healy
3 books9 followersMaureen Healy is a child development and parenting expert with twenty years of experience fostering children's holistic health. Her organization, Growing Happy Kids, is committed to planting the seeds of strength and inner peace in children globally. With both experience in private practice and as a public advocate for children, Maureen has helped countless parents, teachers, and children develop the skill of self-confidence and learn how to cause happiness.
Unique about Maureen is that she has spent a significant portion of her life studying Eastern and Western psychologies focused upon how to be happier. She has studied in Asia with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, worked with Tibetan children in India, and has continued to be a student of Tibetan Buddhism with her root lama in the United States. Complimenting her eastern mindset, Maureen also delved deeply into the western science of happiness through studying child clinical psychology and working with some of the 'great' thinkers of our time.
With such an insightful and rare perspective, Maureen has become a leading voice in the field of parenting and children's emotional health. She writes a popular blog on Psychology Today's website titled 'Creative Development' and has also appeared on ABC's View from the Bay, CW's San Diego Living, and NBC's Philadelphia 10! Her writing has appeared in Spirituality & Health, Tathaastu, and Counselor Magazine as well as notable websites like PBS's This Emotional Life series. She is also a sought after speaker for educational conferences, international events, and parenting programs across the nation.
Healy's intuitive insights and scientific understanding of children is grounded in her background. She studied psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts where she received a BA and also an MBA focused on human potential. She then studied at Fielding Graduate University based in Santa Barbara, California, where she focused on child clinical psychology and completed two years of doctoral training. Combining these educational experiences with practical understanding, Maureen is committed to being a force for good on behalf of children everywhere. For more information, please visit www.growinghappykids.com.
Unique about Maureen is that she has spent a significant portion of her life studying Eastern and Western psychologies focused upon how to be happier. She has studied in Asia with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, worked with Tibetan children in India, and has continued to be a student of Tibetan Buddhism with her root lama in the United States. Complimenting her eastern mindset, Maureen also delved deeply into the western science of happiness through studying child clinical psychology and working with some of the 'great' thinkers of our time.
With such an insightful and rare perspective, Maureen has become a leading voice in the field of parenting and children's emotional health. She writes a popular blog on Psychology Today's website titled 'Creative Development' and has also appeared on ABC's View from the Bay, CW's San Diego Living, and NBC's Philadelphia 10! Her writing has appeared in Spirituality & Health, Tathaastu, and Counselor Magazine as well as notable websites like PBS's This Emotional Life series. She is also a sought after speaker for educational conferences, international events, and parenting programs across the nation.
Healy's intuitive insights and scientific understanding of children is grounded in her background. She studied psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts where she received a BA and also an MBA focused on human potential. She then studied at Fielding Graduate University based in Santa Barbara, California, where she focused on child clinical psychology and completed two years of doctoral training. Combining these educational experiences with practical understanding, Maureen is committed to being a force for good on behalf of children everywhere. For more information, please visit www.growinghappykids.com.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 8, 2014
5 blocks to raise a happy child
1. biology : healthy body usually has healthy mind
2. beliefs : inner confidence developes from a positive beliefs.
3. emotions : feel that you are positive. Happier person will usually spread the positive aura
4. social : positive affirmation, constructive praises and less critism by parents and surroundings will enhance the quality of children
5. spiritual : i believe this is the foundation of everything although the author mentioned this is just a tip of an iceberg.
Author suggested for daily morning prayers because of a more peaceful mind. As a Muslim this has been practiced since long ago as our Prophet Muhammad PBUH taught us a beautiful prayer : Oh My Lord, I ask you anything good from this day and any good things that follows, and I seek refuge from any bad of this day and what follows it
1. biology : healthy body usually has healthy mind
2. beliefs : inner confidence developes from a positive beliefs.
3. emotions : feel that you are positive. Happier person will usually spread the positive aura
4. social : positive affirmation, constructive praises and less critism by parents and surroundings will enhance the quality of children
5. spiritual : i believe this is the foundation of everything although the author mentioned this is just a tip of an iceberg.
Author suggested for daily morning prayers because of a more peaceful mind. As a Muslim this has been practiced since long ago as our Prophet Muhammad PBUH taught us a beautiful prayer : Oh My Lord, I ask you anything good from this day and any good things that follows, and I seek refuge from any bad of this day and what follows it
May 26, 2012
[This is an excerpt of a review taken from my Blogger site Books for Parents and Teachers.]
When I first started this book, I feared it was going to be a lot of New Age spiritual information that would easily turn off some who picked it up. Once you get past her history of how she came to write this book, you find a lot of real world advice that can apply to any culture and any religion. East truly meets West in the ideas and actions outlined within the book. It is also clear how Healy has drawn upon her experience as a child psychologist and scientific research to create realistic advice. A lot of this practical advice seems so common sense. A lot of the ideas were naturally implemented by my own parents. As a teacher, however, I have seen how quickly and easily a lot of these ideals are forgotten. It isn't done on purpose; society is just different today.
A lot of her tips and ideas would apply to adults, as well. We often forget about maintaining a healthy lifestyle through diet, exercise and adequate sleep. We allow people to be negative toward us and forget to have faith in ourselves and our lives.
Another thing I like about this book is that it teaches you how to instill confidence in your children without going overboard. You can learn how to teach confidence without becoming cocky, or by causing the child to feel like a failure when things don't quite work out the way they are supposed to. Sometimes, something can happen to shatter your child's confidence. Healy shows you how you can also rebuild your child's confidence.
The book ends with several lists of activities that can seamlessly become part of your daily routine with your child, to help boost his or her inner confidence. Many of these could be implemented in a classroom, as well. This book is beneficial for both parents and teachers to read, as they are the ones closest to the child who will have the most impact. Further reading is also included for those who wish to learn more.
Proceeds from Growing Happy Kids are being donated to both UNICEF and the Seramey Thewo Khamsten Children's Program.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
When I first started this book, I feared it was going to be a lot of New Age spiritual information that would easily turn off some who picked it up. Once you get past her history of how she came to write this book, you find a lot of real world advice that can apply to any culture and any religion. East truly meets West in the ideas and actions outlined within the book. It is also clear how Healy has drawn upon her experience as a child psychologist and scientific research to create realistic advice. A lot of this practical advice seems so common sense. A lot of the ideas were naturally implemented by my own parents. As a teacher, however, I have seen how quickly and easily a lot of these ideals are forgotten. It isn't done on purpose; society is just different today.
A lot of her tips and ideas would apply to adults, as well. We often forget about maintaining a healthy lifestyle through diet, exercise and adequate sleep. We allow people to be negative toward us and forget to have faith in ourselves and our lives.
Another thing I like about this book is that it teaches you how to instill confidence in your children without going overboard. You can learn how to teach confidence without becoming cocky, or by causing the child to feel like a failure when things don't quite work out the way they are supposed to. Sometimes, something can happen to shatter your child's confidence. Healy shows you how you can also rebuild your child's confidence.
The book ends with several lists of activities that can seamlessly become part of your daily routine with your child, to help boost his or her inner confidence. Many of these could be implemented in a classroom, as well. This book is beneficial for both parents and teachers to read, as they are the ones closest to the child who will have the most impact. Further reading is also included for those who wish to learn more.
Proceeds from Growing Happy Kids are being donated to both UNICEF and the Seramey Thewo Khamsten Children's Program.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
February 9, 2013
I enjoyed the positive spin on childrearing, and I appreciate the idea of creating positivity in your child's life. This author takes common themes in therapy and helps you apply them in your child's life... Maybe to reduce how much you screw them up? I liked the holistic perspective and will pull this one out again.
March 26, 2012
Read my review HERE!
August 14, 2012
Seems so easy to follow their instructions, but I'm always afraid of too easy things, specially with kids...
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND HCI FOR THE PREVIEW
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND HCI FOR THE PREVIEW
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews