After his mother bribes him into reading a self-help book on how to form satisfying relationships and enjoy a happy life, cynical eighth-grader Kyle finds there may be more to the book than he realized.

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.

A groundbreaking guide to raising responsible, capable, happy kids Based on the latest research on brain development and extensive clinical experience with parents, Dr. Laura Markham’s approach is as simple as it is effective. Her message: Fostering emotional connection with your child creates real and lasting change. When you have that vital connection, you don’t need to threaten, nag, plead, bribe—or even punish. This remarkable guide will help parents better understand their own emotions—and get them in check—so they can parent with healthy limits, empathy, and clear communication to raise a self-disciplined child. Step-by-step examples give solutions and kid-tested phrasing for parents of toddlers right through the elementary years. If you’re tired of power struggles, tantrums, and searching for the right “consequence,” look no further. You’re about to discover the practical tools you need to transform your parenting in a positive, proven way.

This friendly picture book helps young children make sense of mixed-up emotions. Happy, and also sad. Excited, but nervous too. Feeling friendly, with a little shyness mixed in. Mixed feelings are natural, but they can be confusing. There are different kinds of happy—the quiet kind and the “noisy, giggly, jump and run” kind. And there are conflicting feelings, like proud and jealous, frustrated and determined. With gentle messaging and charming illustrations, a little girl talks about her many layered feelings, ultimately concluding, “When I have more than one feeling inside me, I don’t have to choose just one. I know that all my feelings are okay at the same time.” A special section for adults presents ideas for helping children explore their emotions, build a vocabulary of feeling words, know what to do if they feel overwhelmed, and more.

Parenting.

Happy Children through Positive Parenting is a parenting book with a difference. It does not tell parents how and when to potty train or when to introduce children to solid food. Instead it argues what really matters is helping children to grow up feeling secure and good about themselves, enabling them to gain positive self-esteem. Knowing and liking yourself is so often the key to success in life - affecting personal relationships, general motivation and success in work. Using key words such as 'praise', 'play', 'time', 'touch' and 'talk' Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer speaks to new and experienced parents alike about what helps children to develop and what blocks progress. No matter how difficult parenting may have seemed in the past, this book offers a clear and simple way forward in the most influential relationship of all - that between parent and child.

If feeling blue isn’t bad enough, it’s even worse without your best furry friend. This Makes Me Sad follows a young boy after he accidentally lets his dog, Kit, loose from the yard. Despite his parents’ attempt to find her, nothing can cheer up the boy. His favorite things, like a pretty sunset, going to the park, and his beloved teddy bear, just make him more sad. Even happy memories of Kit no longer feel good. With help from his family, the boy must learn to accept and express how he’s feeling inside. And by dealing with his feelings, he might just be able to do some good until Kit comes home. Easy-to-read text and evocative illustrations make this relatable second story in the Dealing with Feelings series a perfect practice in emotional maturity for kids, and it includes 2 sheets of colorful stickers!