Customer Reviews

Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Thanks to Christine Carter for giving us parents an actual step by step approach to engendering happiness in our childrens' and our own lives. I've enjoyed her blog at Half Full for sometime, but this is an excellent synopsis of her work.
If you read nothing but Step 3 "Praising Effort and Enjoyment" your childrens' lives will be forever changed.

To lump this book in with the myriad other books on parenting would be doing both the book and the reader a disservice. Raising Happiness goes beyond 'parenting' - it's truly a book on how to create a happiness lifestyle, and in turn raise happy kids. I enjoy Dr. Carter's anecdotes, but also appreciate that all her happiness advice is rooted in scientific study; both social and medical. This is the book that I will not only reread (and enjoy each time) but will keep on my bedside table and refer to time and time again when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and potentially down. Thank you for this book, for your insights, and for the happiness guidance. I have been implementing suggestion after suggestion, and to my delight, my children are flourishing and I'm a happier mom because of it! I will be recommending this to friends, giving this book for baby showers, and sharing the insights with my husband. And reading it again. And then probably again. And perhaps one more time for good luck!

This book is an excellent source of tips and techniques you can begin to implement TODAY that will change the overall feeling in your house immediately. Christine carter has translated literally hundreds of social science articles into practical steps you can take to help your child grow, learn, and feel happy and fulfilled. Need to get out the door on school mornings? She has a plan. Want your child to be happy with what they have rather than asking you to buy something else? She has strategies. This book helps everyone in the family be more attentive to what we already have, the joy of our relationships, and ways we can help each other. Not just a "parenting" book. It is a family-building book. You will benefit as much as your children.

What a fun and informative read! Carter's book is a combination of incredibly useful research and great practical parenting advice. As a writer she has done a fantastic job taking the latest available studies and transforming them into something I can use daily as a parent. It is research I imagine any adult can use in their quest for leading a full and happy life, and I love that it is written by a mom with a great sense of humor and real time experiences; someone who truly understands kids and the trials and joys of parenting! 5 stars for sure.

I really love this book. Its simplicity, optimism, and compassion for both parents and kids resonate with me as a parent and as a psychologist who works with families. I appreciate that nearly every one of Carter's happiness building skills can be initiated right now... making it a great book for new parents as well as for parents negotiating the teen years. In Carter's world, and supported by solid research, it's never too late to create new habits to build family happiness. I keep many copies of this book in my office and have found myself giving it to nearly every family with whom I work.

Dr. Carter has written an honest, practical, and encouraging book which parents everywhere will not only enjoy reading, but will find valuable lessons for increasing family and personal happiness. "Raising Happiness" is packed with knowledge based on research, yet remains easily readable without being bogged down with scientific terminology and ramblings. Whether you are a parent of a toddler or teenager, a parent-to-be, work with kids, or just want to understand more about how to cultivate happiness, this book is a must-read!

Obviously, I'm not the only one who thinks Carter's book is terrific, and the reviews below mention some of the best qualities of Raising Happiness. But I'd like to add one more point. Carter encourages perfectionists to break the habit. Her descriptions of the dangers of a faultless life are compelling, but she also takes the next step by admitting her own parental shortcomings. I may not have a PhD on the topic, but Carter's transparency gives me hope that I'll be able to increase the happiness quotient in my house even if... strike that! ... increase the happiness quotient in my house BECAUSE we will never approach perfection. (Told you I am still recovering!)

Christine's book is interesting, well written and has a ton of great information for parents and children. The best part about it is that it's organized and straightforward. Christine gives us easy to follow steps and a plan of attack for each of her steps. Highlights for me are the areas of praise and gratitude. Get this book, it will make your family a happier one!

I heard Christine speak in person this week and she's a terrific lecturer. She's funny, articulate and organized. I was happier after just hearing her speak!

Finally, a parenting book that I read every word of from cover to cover--TWICE. This book may be intended for parents who want to raise happy children, but the ten steps in this book will also raise happy adults. Dr. Carter culls together real science, research, and ancient wisdom without miring us in data and numbers, without guilting us about doing it right and perfectly. Practicing kindness, gratitude, compassion, forgiveness is not just a remedy for children but for all of us. Dr. Carter has done her homework; in fact, she's done all of our homework, and then put together this cheat sheet for the rest of us. A million thank yous.

We all want the best for our kids. We want our children to be successful, get good grades and have impeccable manners. On top of these goals we also want our children to have a happy life. How is this all possible? Dr. Christine Carter gives step-by-step advice on emotion-coaching your child. She does this in her book Raising Happiness. She focuses on these 10 items:

* Put on your own oxygen mask first
* Build a village
* Expect effort, not perfection
* Chose gratitude, forgiveness, and optimism
* Raise their emotional intelligence
* Form happiness habits
* Teach self-discipline
* Enjoy the present moment
* Rig their environment for happiness
* Eat dinner together

All of this can be practiced during a 9-minute meal! The chapter that gave me that "aha moment" was Chapter 10: Eat Dinner Together. Dr. Carter expresses that the benefits of family mealtime are remarkable. Having dinner as a family is the most important piece of science-based advice that she gives in her book. Studies show that kids who eat dinner with their families on a regular basis are more emotionally stable and less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol. They get better grades and they also have fewer depressive symptoms. Family dinner trumps reading to your kids in preparing them for school!

Why is family dinnertime so important? Well for starters many social skills are learned at the dinner table. Research shows a strong connection between language development and dinnertime, and language is THE most important aspect of social intelligence that we have.


Each of the ten steps that Dr. Carter presents in her book provides some resources for additional information on each of the steps if you find yourself wanting to learn more. I highly recommend this book - especially chapter ten.