William Stixrud

Ned Johnson

"Instead of trusting kids with choices . . . many parents insist on micromanaging everything from homework to friendships. For these parents, Stixrud and Johnson have a simple message: Stop." --NPR "This humane, thoughtful book turns the latest brain science into valuable practical advice for parents." --Paul Tough, New York Times bestselling author of How Children Succeed A few years ago, Bill Stixrud and Ned Johnson started noticing the same problem from different angles: Even high-performing kids were coming to them acutely stressed and lacking motivation. Many complained they had no control over their lives. Some stumbled in high school or hit college and unraveled. Bill is a clinical neuropsychologist who helps kids gripped by anxiety or struggling to learn. Ned is a motivational coach who runs an elite tutoring service. Together they discovered that the best antidote to stress is to give kids more of a sense of control over their lives. But this doesn't mean giving up your authority as a parent. In this groundbreaking book they reveal how you can actively help your child to sculpt a brain that is resilient, and ready to take on new challenges. The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioral therapy, and case studies drawn from the thousands of kids and teens Bill and Ned have helped over the years to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success. As parents, we can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they will have to take the wheel and map out their own path. But there is a lot you can do before then to help them tackle the road ahead with resilience and imagination.

The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives

The Self-Driven Child

Bastien Vaucher

In children, every hour of screen time is associated with increased blood pressure, while every hour spent reading is associated with decreased blood pressure. These efects are independent of how much time kids spend exercising. Its not enough to run laps for an hour if you're then going to sit in front of a screen the rest of the day.

The problem we see in high school in particular-is that kids are led to believe that in order to be successful they need to be superior at everything, from English to science to foreign languages.

It's all too easy to look around and find others who are better at most anything. Making it your goal to be "the best" means constantly comparing yourself to others. It could motivate you, but more often it will be demotivating. Part of growing up is knowing when to let go, and choosing what not to pursue.

The Self-Driven Child quotes

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