Tenacity in Children examines how multiple generations of parents and caregivers raised children to become successful adults. Until relatively recent times in human history, there were no schools or organized institutions, nor were there parenting books. Rather, caregivers depended on the seven important instincts that evolved across tens of thousands of years in the human species.

This volume highlights the ways in which these instincts are more important than ever in preparing children for tomorrow’s successes. Key areas of coverage include individual chapters devoted to examining each of the seven instincts - intuitive optimism, intrinsic motivation, compassionate empathy, simultaneous intelligence, genuine altruism, virtuous responsibility, and measured fairness - as well as practical strategies to guide children in acquiring and fine-tuning these essential human instincts.

Tenacity in Children provides a solid foundation to prepare children for a resilient and happy future. It offers well-defined guideposts for adults committed to providing every child with the opportunity to access, strengthen, and employ these instincts as they negotiate childhood and passage into adult life. This book also serves as a rich resource for researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in mental health and public health disciplines, as well as many interrelated fields as we all strive to promote the well-being of children.

Author of It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Helping Children with Learning Disabilities Find Social Success