Table of Contents
Introduction: The Work of Happiness Begins on the Inside 1
Part 1 Changing Your Child's Mind
1 Understanding Negative Thinking: Wired to Quit (Too Soon) 17
2 Changing Your Child's Mind: Talking Back to the Negative Brain 37
3 Weathering the Storm of Big, Negative Feelings: Inviting Them In, Working Them Out 71
4 Shining the Light on Your Child's Unique Abilities: Finding and Applying Your Child's Strengths 99
5 Going from the "No" to the "Know": The Master Plan for Overcoming Negative Thinking 120
Part 2 Negative Meets World: Navigating the Glitches of Life
6 When Negativity Takes Hold: Does My Child Need Professional Help? 151
7 Preventing the Worst: Talking to Kids About Suicide 175
8 Losing, Failure, Perfectionism, and Jealousy (Oh My!): Walking Your Child Compassionately Through the Less Than Pleasant "Givens" of Life 190
9 Navigating Social Media: Taking Charge of a Life Lived On-Screen and Off 227
10 The Parent's Role: Teaching Without Getting Tangled Up: How Not to Turn One Negative Person into Two 242
Part 3 Turning on the Axis of Possibility
11 Resilience to Go and Happiness to Stay 267
12 Everyday Optimism: Planting Seeds for a Lifetime of Sustainable Living 285
13 Lighting Up the Future: Keeping Your Child on Track for the Long Run 315
Resource Guide 323
Acknowledgments 329
Notes 331
Index 339