A Parent's Guide to Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Your Child Roots and Wings (American Academy of Pediatrics) [Paperback]

Kenneth R. Ginsburg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2006 | Series: American Academy of Pediatrics

Today’s children face a great deal of stress — academic performance, heavy scheduling, high achievement standards, media messages, peer pressures, family tension. Without healthier solutions, they often cope by talking back, giving up, or indulging in unhealthy behaviors. Show your child how to bounce back — and THRIVE — with coping strategies from one of the nation’s foremost experts in adolescent medicine.
 
This 7-C plan for resilience that helps kids of all ages learn competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control to help them bounce back from challenges. You'll find effective strategies to help your children and teens: 

•  Make wise decisions
•  Recognize and build on their natural strengths
•  Deal effectively with stress
•  Foster hope and optimism
•  Develop skills to navigate a complex world
•  Avoid risky behaviors
•  Take care of their emotions and their bodies

Plus, two Personalized Stress Management Plans help your child create a customized strategy. It’s everything your child needs to face life’s challenges and bounce back with confidence!
 

Editorial Reviews

Review

The 2011 Book of the Year;  Gold Award for Parenting,  ForeWord Reviews

The 2011 Awards for Parenting Books, The Silver Award,  eLit Awards

The 2013 Nautilus Book Awards, Silver Award

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Kenneth R. Ginsburg, MD, MS Ed, FAAP, is an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and practices adolescent medicine at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is a member of the Society for Adolescent Medicine and author of But, I’m Almost 13!: Raising a Responsible Adult. He is the father of two children and lives in Philadelphia. 

 

Martha M. Jablow has written extensively on parenting as the author of several books and articles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: American Academy Of Pediatrics; 1 edition (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581102267
• ISBN-13: 978-1581102260
• Product Dimensions: 0.6 x 6.3 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #762,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ken Ginsburg is a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He also is Director of Health Services at Covenant House Pennsylvania, where he serves Philadelphia's homeless and marginalized youth.

As an adolescent doctor, the early years of his career focused on teens' problem behaviors. It became clear that "picking up the pieces" was not the right approach. Rather, the solution had to be in raising children prepared to thrive and equipped to make wise decisions. Recognizing this, the focus of his work shifted to supporting parents.

He strives to translate the best of what is known from research and practice into practical approaches parents, professionals and communities can use to build resilience in children and teens. Two core principles guide his approach. First, it is the healthy connection - the unwavering strong relationship - between parent and child that is the essential element that prepares a young person to thrive. Second, most behaviors we fear in adolescents are misguided attempts to cope with stress. Therefore, if we are to reduce the risk in our children's lives, we need to equip them, starting in early childhood, to address life's challenges in healthy ways.

Dr. Ginsburg lectures widely to national and international parent and professional audiences. He is working with The Boys and Girls Club of America to incorporate resilience-building strategies into their programming. He is also honored to be working on behalf of those who serve our nation, preparing military parents and professionals to incorporate stress reduction and resilience building strategies into the lives of our nearly 2 million military-affiliated children. His greatest privilege is to be a husband and the father of two teenaged daughters.

For more information, see www.fosteringresilience.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST have book for anyone parenting a teen! If you buy only one book on parenting -- BUY THIS BOOK! October 6, 2006

By Jane Lerner

Format:Paperback

As a single parent of a fourteen year-old daughter and a seventeen year-old son, I see the tremendous stress that my children and their friends struggle with on a daily basis. They are striving to be strong and independent while trying to balance the pressure to get good grades, deal with peer pressure and friends who are exploring risky behaviors, handle family tensions, and just figuring out to grow up to be the adults they want to be. This MUST HAVE book for all parents provides a realistic and easily understandable method of reconnecting with our teens, and gives us the tools we need to teach them not only how to handle the stresses they face now, but how to grow into resilient adults who will be prepared to face the challenges ahead. In fact, so much of the advice in this book is about raising children of any age to become strong and resilient, that I wish that I had read this book 10 years ago, although as a parent of teens I am finding it incredibly helpful in our everyday lives right now. This book also includes a special section at the end - one for pre-teens and one for teens that they can read themselves, and worksheets they can use to build their own stress reduction plan. My kids actually read this section, and described it as "cool", but I like it because it reinforces the strategies modeled in the book. If you buy only one book on parenting -- BUY THIS BOOK!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has saved my sanity! June 18, 2007

By Susan Stein

Format:Paperback

I have read Dr. Ginsburg's book "Building Resilience in Children and Teens" cover to cover and still refer to it constantly. He has a way of writing that gives us (parents) a sense of confidence in what we are doing right and elaborates on concrete ways to do it better. This book has completely changed the way my teen and I communicate. I now find myself in a better position to relate to my teen's point of view, and am able to talk with her in a way that she will relate to. I think many parents feel that the teen years are a time to clamp down on kids in order to keep them from problem behaviors. Dr. Ginsburg's book has shown me how to handle letting teens make their own mistakes while guiding them in the right direction. It is so very hard to watch your child mess up, but when you see how essential that mess is to their development, it becomes a little easier to watch and learn instead of worry and lecture. I have learned these years are a time to listen and support instead of trying to mold our kids into who we think they should be. This realization has opened new lines of communication, which is the foundation for everything to come. This book is the best 15 bucks (or less) you will ever spend!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this to parents of my adolescent patients January 10, 2007

By Susan Sugerman

Format:Paperback

As an physician who takes care of adolescents exclusively, I am grateful for the resource that this book provides both to me and to my patients' families. Ginsburg's approach to understanding children and teens is fresh, realistic, and honest. He teaches how to understand kids and how to communicate effectively with them. He offers guidance on how to help children to help themselves, which is ultimately the skill they need to be well-adjusted, successful adults. Whether you are a parent or a professional, the insight provided by Dr. Ginsburg will change how you approach young people in positive, constructive ways. I keep copies in all of my exam rooms and in my waiting room, and I recommend it strongly to all my patients' parents. For my friends and colleagues, it makes an original and much appreciated gift!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you want to launch kids who can handle adversity - READ THIS BOOK! July 16, 2011

By Deborah Gilboa

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dr. Ginsburg breaks it down and builds us (and our kids) up. This book helps parents understand why kids have difficulty solving their own problems. The author acknowledges clearly (as a dad of 2 teens himself) how hard it is to get out of the way while our kids are doing the hard work of growing up. Then he teaches us how to give them the skills they need so that we can have confidence in them, and let them face the challenges on their own two feet. Better yet, he tells us WHY we should and gives us the courage to do it.

Building Resilience in Children and Teens builds resilience in parents by boosting our own "7 crucial C's." Dr. Ginsburg practices what he preaches by teaching parents healthy coping mechanisms, building our confidence and competence to handle our children's pain as they make mistakes and learn to fix them on their own.

I echo the reviewer who said "Run, don't walk, to your computer to order this book!"

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for tips and strategies July 6, 2011

By Lonnette

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dr. Ken Ginsburg's book, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is an engrossing read. The topic of resilience has been buzzing around parenting circles for several years now, and many books have been published offering advice, but Dr. Ginsburg's book stands apart for several reasons.

First, as a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine, his writing on child development is nuanced and holistic. Not only does he understand the medical aspects of maturation, Dr. Ginsburg brings a practical, strategic, empathic stance to his subject matter.

While there's no finger-pointing or blame-laying, Dr. Ginsburg is also clear in his observations how and (more interestingly) why many parents misstep. It's a compassionate view of a complex dynamic, and as a father of two himself, he understands first-hand the challenge parents face in making sense of their actions and attitudes towards their children.

As a parent education programmer, I find that audiences are hungry for not only deep theory, but for counsel on how to effectively implement the theories. This book is a great resource, full of tips and strategies for addressing a broad range of issues that crop up parenting children and teens.

Last, Dr. Ginsburg's concepts are "sticky" -- i.e., insightful, direct and fresh. They stay with me during the day -- that's a huge compliment in this super-saturated world we live in.