Foreword by Amy Schumer

An expert on child development and the author of How Toddlers Thrive presents a new approach for parents to help children and teens build resilience and flourish in an unpredictable world.

Global pandemics. Social and political unrest. School shootings. These are some of the destabilizing realities occurring in our children’s lives and threatening their wellbeing. While mental health disorders are on the rise among young people, there is good news that has not yet been reflected in the headlines: the negative consequences of these events can be mitigated. Though it seems counterintuitive, adversity can actually make our children more resilient. The key is parental involvement and attunement.

Dr. Tovah Klein has devoted her professional life to helping children thrive in the face of everday uncertainty, as well as devastating events. A child psychologist specializing in the effects of population-wide trauma who has worked with children and families in the wake of 9/11, the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and other catastrophic events, Dr. Klein uses clinical data to reveal how, even in times of grave fear and uncertainty, parents can offset and even avoid damage that could derail their children’s future.

Raising Resilience offers parents five strategies that show children how to develop the inner resources to face adversity, adjust, and thrive, instead of falter and break down. Drawing on research on trauma and its impact on emotional and intellectual development, including her own findings, Dr. Klein offers a lifeline for every family contending with life’s many stresses and traumas—from the most devastating to the most commonplace, including peer conflicts, divorce, moving, academic struggles, and larger national events.

Wise and hopeful, this essential guide shows how hardship offers the possibilities for life-long strength—with the right support in place. Raising Resilience provides parents with practical guidance for instilling in their children the emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and social know-how they need to manage life’s challenges, build the resources to bounce back, and create a lasting capacity for happiness. Accessible, compassionate, and authoritative, it is a timely resource that shows parents how to raise children who are motivated, resourceful, caring, and resilient—all of what’s needed in an ever-changing world.