Name: The Self-driven Child
ISBN: 9780735222519

Ned Johnson

William R. Stixrud

A clinical neuropsychologist and test-prep guru combine cutting-edge brain science with insights from their work with families to make a radical case for giving kids more freedom to unleash their full potential.

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 best parenting book I've ever read for school-aged kids and teens that puts their happiness and development at the center. It offers a diverse range of strategies and tools to guide parents towards their children's well-being, resonating with insights from other literature while providing valuable advice.

Raúl Barroso Moreno

Sarah Schumacher

This book is based on the concept that autonomy = happiness (an oversimplification, but something you can read about in depth in other books). They advocate putting decision-making in the hands of the child. I already agree with this, but the quality of writing and questions at the end of each chapter help refine how to actually live this, practically. More relevant for parents of kids in school, vs toddlers, but still worth reading. This is one I would absolutely purchase for myself or other parents.

Simao Freitas

Very insightful and challenging. I probably don’t yet have the full perspective necessary to appreciate its teachings but I look forward to scanning through it again in a few years.

Margaret Sh.

As a person grew up in China, with the constant pressure of the ultimate standardized test (gao kao, college entry exam) hovering over our head, I think the suggestions mentioned in this book is good for parents who are financially stable and live in a Western developed country, rather than the society I grew up or someone who's in a developing country. The targeted audience for this book is quite niche imo, but that's probably true for most parenting books (I'm assuming if you're underprivileged and living paycheck to paycheck, you probably won't really have time for reading parenting books, hopefully I'm wrong).

If you're a stereotypical middle-/upper-middle-class parent in suburban US who is struggling with parenting, this is the book for you. Otherwise maybe just read the first half of the book on developing your child's brain with as less pressure as possible and ignore the parts about middle and high schoolers.

Danica Holdaway

Fascinating must read! I’ll admit as a former teacher the chapters on education were disheartening - how have we strayed so far from what we know works?? But I needed to read this to remember the importance of agency, creativity, and to resist the infantilism of kids and teens.

Mike Gregory

I think this book is a must have for parents. It gives a lot of insights on raising your kids and when to let them do what’s best for themselves even if your scared to let them make all their own decisions.

Pratik M

William Stixrud

"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 Self-driven Child The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives

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