The Thriving Child

The Thriving Child Synopsis

** Published in the U.S. as The Self-Driven Child**


A hands-off parenting guide to nurture independent thinking and collaboration for happier, smarter and stress-free kids.

'Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do as parents is to parent our children a little less. This humane, thoughtful book turns the latest brain science into valuable practical advice for parents on how to pull back, when to engage and when to let go. Read it. Your children will thank you.' Paul Tough, New York Times bestselling author of How Children Succeed

As parents we all want the best for our child, but so often we give in to societal pressures which can result in us over-managing every aspect of their lives leaving them overwhelmed, over-scheduled and lacking motivation. This can terrifyingly lead to mental health problems as adolescents and adults. How can we prevent this happening to our child?

Over their combined sixty years of practice, William Stixrud, a clinical neuropsychologist, and Ned Johnson, the founder of an elite tutoring agency, have worked with thousands of children all facing this problem. Together they discovered that the best antidote to stress is to give kids more of a sense of control over their lives. In this ground-breaking book they reveal how you can actively help your child to sculpt a brain that is resilient, stress-proof and ready to take on new challenges.

The Thriving Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioural therapy, and case studies drawn from the thousands of kids and teens Bill and Ned have helped over the years. They will teach you how to set your child on the real road to success and share their successful techniques to show you the best ways of helping your child to:

· Reduce their stress and anxiety
· Foster independent thinking
· Find their internal motivation
· Achieve their full potential
· Transform defiance into decision making
· Tame rebellious tendencies


The Thriving Child is essential reading for every parent and demonstrates precisely how nurturing independent thinking, and collaborating with your child rather than micro-managing them, will lead to happier, smarter and stress-free kids.

'This serious and probing look at how to give our children the right kinds of independence shows us how much power we have to ensure they can function optimally. It is a book about how to make our children more meaningfully independent, and to set ourselves free in the process.' Andrew Solomon, author of Far from the Tree

'Compelling, revolutionary, and wise, The Thriving Child empowers parents with the courage, the tools, and the mindset to reduce toxic stress, and to foster our child's capacity for resilience, success, and optimal development. Its message-that we should trust kids to have more control over their own lives-is one every parent needs to hear.' Tina Payne Bryson, PhD, co-author of The Whole Brain Child and The Yes Brain

About This Edition