What Kids Need to Succeed: Proven, Practical Ways to Raise Good Kids

The study that was conducted, upon which this book is based, is very revealing. The book defines 20 external and 20 internal assets that children need to succeed. Our company has developed these ideas into worksheets and used them in treatment. This book aides in better understanding these assets and how to address them. Again, not great reading but very good content.

As a clinically licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who has worked in a state agency for over 26 years with hard to handle youth, and also maintained a private psychotherapy practice for over 18 years, I must say that this is a VERY GOOD book. In over 20 years of teaching a weekly 2 hour parenting class I have seen many "parenting guides" come and go, and I'm not usually impressed by most of them. Many of the books simply reinforce parents need for emotionally leveraging the child into compliance. Short term looks great, long term BIG PRICETAGS. . .(like the kids won't come home for Christmas holidays, when they are 25 years old. . .etc) I think that too many of the "guides" teach parents to be RIGHT rather than CLOSE. In contrast to that position, the information contained in "What Kids Need to Succeed" is not only VERY pertinent to interacting with youth, but provides a basic outline of what needs are important to address with children/youth to help support them toward responsible, independent adulthood. I believe that the suggestions are sound in terms of being research based and from my experience certainly do yield great results. The approach is proactive and constructive, which is very reflective of what current research indicates works best. The conceptual foundation of encouragement and empowerment is (IMHO) the ONLY way to help children/youth INTEGRATE constructive, growth enhancing principles, rather than just reacting to demanding adults who require compliance. I liked the book a lot and will be adding it to the 4 other manuals that I use in teaching parenting skills. I would guess some parents will resist this approach because it requires them to give up trying to control and dominant the child and replace it with mentoring, friendship and alliance. . . All in all I really appreciate this book and it is required reading in all my classes now.

This is one of those books that makes you keep telling yourself, I knew that. What makes it so fabulous is that it puts all those things you know are right together in a very useful format. Just looking through it renews your confidence that you can do something to make a difference to children.