March is National Optimism Month
You might think your child has a sunny or gloomy personality. You might describe them as an optimist or pessimist. But optimism isn’t a disposition someone is born with. It’s a learned skill, and it’s an important factor in determining a person’s level of happiness. Magination Press has several books about optimism, positive psychology, and positive self-talk.
Celebrate National Optimism Month by sharing these books with your child. Help build their sense of optimism and positive thinking skills.
What to Do When You Grumble Too Much: A Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Negativity by Dawn Huebner, PhD
What to Do When You Grumble Too Much guides children and their parents through the cognitive-behavioral techniques used to treat negative thinking. Lively metaphors and illustrations help kids see life’s hurdles in a new way, while drawing and writing activities help them master skills to get over those hurdles. And step-by-step instructions point the way toward becoming happier, more positive kids. This interactive self-help book is the complete resource for educating, motivating, and empowering children to work toward change.
It includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers by the author.
“Dr. Huebner has a gift for describing abstract issues in simple, concrete terms…a unique resource that helps children practice how to think differently. Highly recommended.” —Carina Ziemek, MA, school counselor
See other books in the What to Do Guides for Kids Series.
A Feel Better Book for Little Tears by Holly Brochmann and Leah Bowen
This rhyming book will help kids identify what it feels like to be sad and what they can do to respond to it. It offers suggestions such as talking about what makes you feel sad, imagining happy things, or crying as a way to let the emotion out.
The book lets kids know that it’s perfectly normal to feel sad — but offers a gentle reminder that the feelings won’t last forever.
A Note to Parents and Caregivers provides guidance about how to help children respond to strong feelings of sadness.
“Brochmann and Bowen have provided readers with the tools to help their kids get through their first bouts of sadness.” —BookTrib
Read an excerpt from the Note to Parents and Caregivers.
Hear A Feel Better Book for Little Tears read aloud.
See other books in the Feel Better Books for Little Kids Series.
Grow Happy Jon Lasser, PhD and Sage Foster-Lasser
Grow Happy shows kids that they can play a pivotal role in creating their own happiness. The main character, Kiko, shows the reader how she grows happiness: by making good choices, taking care of her body and mind, paying attention to her feelings, problem solving, and spending time with family and friends.
A Note to Parents and Other Caregivers provides more strategies for helping children learn how to grow happiness.
“In Grow Happy, the authors help children to think metaphorically about growing happiness in a variety of strategic ways. This is a fun and meaningful way for children to learn more about cultivating happiness. This is crucial because so many children do not realize that their happiness is not dependent upon luck and circumstances.” —John Mark Froiland, PhD, NCSP, Research Director of Pearson Clinical Assessment; Associate Editor of School Psychology International
Read about positive psychology.
