How Children Thrive
by Mark Bertin, MD
How do children thrive? As a parent you probably think about this every day. You want your children to have happy, healthy, and meaningful lives – but what’s the best way to support them? In How Children Thrive, developmental pediatrician and parent Dr. Mark Bertin provides a positive, simple, and empowering approach for raising children. Bringing together mindfulness, new science on brain development, and the messy reality of being a parent, Dr. Bertin has created a breakthrough guide that will help children – and their parents – flourish.
Research has shown that the key to raising resilient, kind, and independent children lies in executive function, our mental capacity to manage just about everything in life. Dr. Bertin provides simple strategies for helping your children develop healthy EF while taking care of yourself and enjoying your family.
Highlights:
- Mindfulness—how it directly builds EF and how to incorporate practices for the whole family
- The importance of free play, the science behind it, and how to encourage more of it
- Helping your kids have a healthy relationship with media
- Simple routines that support independence around homework, nutrition, sleep, and friendships
- Age-appropriate advice for toddlers, teens, and even your twenty-somethings
- Limits and discipline: How to determine—and stick with—consequences for unwanted behavior
- Giving yourself permission to make mistakes and adapt along the way
Professional Reviews
“The perfect antidote to the parenting book that makes us feel like we’re doing everything wrong.”
-Wendy Mass, New York Times bestselling author of A Mango-Shaped Space
“What a wonderful resource for parents in developing self-compassion and resilience in their own lives so that they are better equipped to develop these same qualities in the lives of their children.”
-Dr. Robert Brooks, co-author of Raising a Self-Disciplined Child and The Power of Resilience
“…A breath of fresh air. Mark Bertin cuts through all the overwhelming theories on how to optimally raise children and presents an elegant, effective, yet simple approach that can help your child develop into the best version of themselves (while maintaining your sanity!)
-Elisha Goldstein, PhD, founder of A Course in Mindful Living
“…Makes the important point that a parent’s state of mind powerfully affects the development of the child and presents a wealth of mindfulness-based practices to help both parents and kids.”
-Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Love
“Exactly the type of book I was looking for when my children were growing up.”
-Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of The Mindful Child and Mindful Games
The advice in this user’s manual is gentle and empowering and definitely something you can try at home.”
-Barry Boyce, editor-in-chief of Mindful magazine and mindful.org