Raising Happiness

I have been leading discussions at the schools I work at on the book Raising Happiness by Dr. Christine Carter (http://www.raisinghappiness.com/community/blog/). I like reading parenting books because they help me in my work with kids and help me to be a better parent. But I think reading them in a group has helped me to get so much more out of it. We can discuss the ideas that Dr. Carter presents and how we relate to the idea, if we believe in it, if we think we can implement it.

I really enjoy the way this book is written. Dr. Carter admits to things she has done that might not be great parenting. But haven't we all had those moments. It doesn't take away from the fact that we are trying to raise happy kids. Dr. Carter goes over 10 steps that she has researched that will lead to happy kids. For me it has also lead to a more happy parent. Many of her ideas are actually about changing the parent. It is a little scary how much influence we have over kids behavior because of how we model things! If I model happiness, good problem solving, and positive ways to manage stress. My kids will learn that.

Here are the 10 Steps from her book: 1. Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First , 2. Build A Village, 3. Expect Effort and Enjoyment, Not Perfection 4. Choose Gratitude, forgiveness, and optimism 5. Raise their emotional intelligence 6. Form Happiness Habits 7. Teach Self-Disipline 8. Enjoy the Present Moment. 9. Rig Their Environment for Happiness 10. Eat Dinner Together.

It is well worth the time to read this book! Dr. Carter also has on-line classes.