Ease Reading-Find Your Next Favorite Book

Hot Search

The Optimistic Child: A Proven Program to Safeguard Children Against Depression and Build Lifelong Resilience

martin e.p. seligman karen reivich lisa jaycox jane gillham

... Show More
Despite the increased focus on self-esteem over the past three decades, depression in children has continued to grow, now affecting a quarter of all kids today. To combat this trend, Dr. Seligman began the Penn Depression Prevention Project, the first long term study aimed at 8 to 12 year olds. His findings were revolutionary, proving that children can be against depression by being taught how to challenge their pessimistic thoughts. The Optimistic Child offers parents and teachers the tools developed in this study to teach children of all ages life skills that transform helplessness into mastery and bolster self-esteem. Learning the skills of optimism not only reduces the risk of depression but boosts school performance, improves physical health, and provides children with the self-reliance they need as they approach the teenage years and beyond. world of optimists is a bigger world, a world of more possibilities, says Seligman. Filled with practical advice and written in clear, helpful language, this book is an invaluable resource for caregivers who want to open up this world for their children.

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,1995

This edition

Format
352 pages, Paperback
Published
August 2, 1996 by HarperPB
ISBN
9780060977092
ASIN
0060977094
Language
English

More editions

About the author

Profile Image for martin e.p. seligman

martin e.p. seligman

... Show More
Seligman is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology in the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Psychology. He was previously the Director of the Clinical Training Program in the department. Seligman was elected President of the American Psychological Association by the widest margin in its history and served in that capacity during the 1998 term.[4] He is the founding editor-in-chief of Prevention and Treatment Magazine (the APA electronic journal), and is on the board of advisers of Parents.

Seligman has written about positive psychology topics such as The Optimistic Child, Child's Play, Learned Optimism, Authentic Happiness," and in 2011, "Flourish."

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews

Rating(4.1 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
35(35%)
4 stars
38(38%)
3 stars
27(27%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Gabatron085
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
This is an interesting, if a bit clinical, read. Good reminders about my own attitude as well as what I am teaching my children. While most of the practical exercises are directed at children older than my own (they are written for middle school age), the ideas are useful reminders for all of us.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
xyenne
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
This is an excellent reference text for all parents. It provides concrete methods for equipping your children with the tools that will prevent them from ever being the victims of depression and anxiety. As a teacher I think the text will have dual uses as I can incorporate some of these ideas into my teaching.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
WarsonG10
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
Loved the ideas in this book. Love that you as the parent need to learn and model the behavior that teaches your children. I was surprised to read the author’s ideas on creating optimistic children. I thought it would be all about positive self talk and being loving and accepting. But our kids know when we are lying to them, even with good intentions, they need to be told the truth, even when it is hard. Optimism comes through hard work and achievement, and realistic interpretations of life experience. Unearned Cheerleading and praise that isn’t merit based leads to apathetic and depressed kids.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
grwawr
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
Here’s the best praise for this book I can think of. The authors premise is that this book can teach you how to inoculate your children from depression. I read it probably 6 years ago and taught my kids a lot of the lessons from the book at that time. Right now I am reading a Brene brown book about shame so I started asking my kids questions about their internal voice and dialogue. The 3 kids who I trained from this book have super healthy thought patterns and great strategies for handling shame and disappointment. They are second nature to them and they had a hard time imagining a person who could not think so flexibly. I know they are using the strategies I taught them from this book. Now I need to go through it with my younger kids.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Est
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
Good book, not just for researchers but even more oriented to parents, based on decades of applied research.



"Love, affection, warmth, and ebullience should all be delivered unconditionally. The more of these, the more positive the atmosphere, and the more secure your child will be. The more secure he is, the more he will explore and find mastery. But praise is an altogether different matter. Praise your child contingent on a success, not just to make him feel better. Wait until he fits the little peg man into the car before applauding. Also, grade your praise to fit the accomplishment. Do not overpraise and treat the peg man achievement as if it were an amazing accomplishment. Save your expressions of highest praise for more major accomplishments, like saying his sister's name for the first time and catching the wobbling football. To praise your child regardless of how well he does, to fail to grade your praise, is to render your child helpless."
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
spiffyish
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
Although I have no children at home, I found some interesting information in this book. It did seem to follow more of a textbook/workbook format and could have been considerably shorter. The primary focus is children aged 8-11.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Rappa-chan
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 26,2025
... Show More
A great book about teaching your kids competence and helping them take the right amount of responsibility in their lives. Teaches them to take control of what they can fix and accept the things they can't.
0 0 Reply
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.