Teaching Kids to be Good People by Annie Fox, M. Ed.: Review and Giveaway

Wow – this book could not be more timely. My daughter is getting ready to start middle school next year and I feel the earth shifting as she matures to the next milestone. My 3.5 year old twins are like sponges and are also in need of good parent modeling. Some days, it seems really overwhelming and frightening, but Annie Fox’s new book, “Teaching Kids to be Good People“, gives me the understanding and strategies to better help my kids be good people.

In her new book, Annie has delivered a truly compelling collection of personal narratives, conversation topics, podcast links, and overall guidance on how parents can help kids navigate through the challenges they face and still be good people. Annie covers key topics such as how to manage emotions, doing the right thing (karma), releasing shame and regret, seeing beyond likes and dislikes and developing social courage.

Why is this book so timely and important? Annie summarizes it nicely by reminding us that “our kids are good kids, but they are constantly challenged by the less-than-compassionate standards of their peers with whom they are mind-linked 24/7. Today’s teens suffer from status anxiety at levels no other generation has endured. This compels them to do whatever it takes to fit in, including things they are not particularly proud of.”

The book’s premise is that eight key concepts help define a good child: Emotional intelligence, ethics, help, forgiveness, compassion, empathy, acceptance, and social courage. The good news is that these are teachable skills. The even better news is that Annie has outlined the dialogue and behavior modeling needed to tackle these topics with our kids.

Annie’s personal narratives make this book read more like a novel that is hard to put down. She had me teary-eyed from the very beginning when she related how her parents showed their emotions (or rather, failed to show emotion) in front of the kids when her Grandpa died . She shared the evolution in emotional understanding when faced with her own parents’ passings and how to help her own kids appreciate and understand vulnerability and the real emotions at play.

From each personal narrative, Annie gives the reader ‘conversations that count’ advice, including questions to frame up to tackle the tough topics and advice she has given others. For me, this book reminded me how important it is to have an open dialogue with your kids and also to model good behavior. We cannot always be there for our kids, but we can give the strong foundation and skills to navigate the peer-group pressures.

On a personal note, I have always appreciated Annie as at Twitter friend and respected her blog insights (and now her books). I challenge you to read “Teaching Kids to be Good People” and reach out to Annie to share your appreciation and any questions.

Giveaway!!!

Annie has graciously offered to give away 3 digital copies of her book to our loyal followers! To enter, leave a comment below sharing how you will help your kids be good people (even if the answer is ‘to first read Annie’s book’) – one entry per person. I’ll use a random number generator to select 3 lucky winners. Entry deadline is April 3rd.

UPDATE with Winners: Congratulations to Geri, Rachel and Amy M for being selected to receive a digital copy of Annie’s book. Everyone is a winner through April 5, 2013, as Annie is offering a free Kindle download through April 5th http://bit.ly/TKkindle

For More Information

For more information, go to http://TeachingKidsToBeGoodPeople.com. This title is available in print and digital versions (and is also available for free loan on Kindle for Amazon Prime Members).

Annie Fox, M. Ed is an internationally respected educator and award-winning author and app developer. Learn more and join the discussion at http://www.anniefox.com/.