The Resilience Recipe: A Parent's Guide to Raising Fearless Kids in the Age of Anxiety

Description

What can parents do to help their kids feel less anxious? In our increasingly uncertain world, helping children cultivate resilience is key. Written by pioneering experts in child psychology and anxiety, The Resilience Recipe offers parents of children ages 5 to 12 struggling with anxiety a proven-effective, evidence-based plan grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help kids build emotional resilience, manage the ups and downs of anxiety, worry less, approach life's challenges with confidence, and thrive in the face of modern stressors. Help your child face all of life's challenges with confidence. Based on the innovative Coping Cat program, this book offers a proven-effective "recipe" for raising resilient kids! We live in an age of anxiety. Amidst climate change and natural disasters, a troubled economy, and one of the largest global pandemics in modern history-is it any wonder our kids are anxious and stressed out? Add in the pressures inherent in social media and consumerist culture, as well as the pressure of academic success, and you've got a recipe for disaster. The good news is that you can help your child manage anxiety and stress-no matter what life throws their way. This book will show you how. Written by two pioneering experts in child psychology and anxiety, The Resilience Recipe offers an evidence-based plan grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help kids build emotional resilience and adaptability, worry less, and thrive-despite the stressors of modern life. With this guide, you'll learn to help kids feel more in control of their moods and emotions; cope with difficult experiences; and recognize the first signs of stress and anxiety in both their mind and body, so they can find quick relief. You'll also discover a wealth of tips and strategies to help you manage your own anxiety. Most importantly, you'll find a solid action plan to help your child feel strong and capable in the face of unprecedented challenges.

Muniya S. Khanna, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist at the Children's and Adult Center for OCD and Anxiety. Khanna has served as assistant professor of psychiatry and codirector of the Child and Adolescent OCD, Tic, Trich, and Anxiety Group at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University Of Pennsylvania. She is an expert in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of childhood anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, having been involved in some of the most important research in the field in the last twenty years. Khanna is author of numerous scientific papers, chapters, and treatment manuals, and is a recognized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) trainer and speaker. She is also a pioneer in digital mental health research for child anxiety. In partnership with her mentor, Philip Kendall, she developed digital interventions for child anxiety, including Camp Cope-A-Lot, Child Anxiety Tales; and hosts www.copingcatparents.com, a website to inform and empower parents of children with anxiety. Philip C. Kendall, PhD, ABPP, is a distinguished university professor and Laura H. Carnell professor of psychology at Temple University, where he is director of the Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic. He has produced more than 800 publications, including several books and more than 20 treatment manuals and workbooks. His treatment for anxiety in youth, Coping Cat, has been translated into over a dozen languages. Coping Cat has been evaluated in numerous randomized clinical trials conducted in different countries, examined by literature reviewers, and subsequently given the designation of an "empirically supported treatment." His contribution to our understanding and treatment of child anxiety is immeasurable.

"These are anxious times, and our kids are contending with peer pressure, parents' expectations, and COVID-19 scares. Psychologists Khanna and Kendall have developed a Coping Cat program that uses cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) to manage children's and teens' stress and anxiety. It features the four-pronged FEAR plan. FEAR stands for knowing their Feelings, defining Expectations, making a plan to Act, and Rewarding effort. Each chapter includes samples of kid-friendly conversation starters to help parents become effective coaches. The goal is for children to hone their own abilities to cope with upsets and setbacks, so the authors urge parents to be cheerleaders rather than bodyguards for their child. Resilience is built by forming plans of attack and stacking up small successes. Parents are shown how to model these techniques using such skills as relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation. In these changing and challenging times, giving children the gifts of resourcefulness, optimism, confidence, a growth mindset, and resilience are key. This reassuring book offers a logical, easy-to-follow plan born from scientific methods to guide kids to those goals." --Booklist-- "Booklist" "Every parent or caregiver with a child who worries or experiences anxiety needs to read The Resilience Recipe and implement its science-based strategies. Based on years of practice and research, internationally renowned experts Khanna and Kendall provide clear and specific guidance on HOW to relieve anxieties and bounce back. Their user-friendly tips make this a particularly valuable book for parents. Readers will appreciate the 'key takeaways' and 'conversation starters.'" --Mary K. Alvord, PhD, psychologist, and coauthor of Resilience Builder Programfor Children and Adolescents and Conquer Negative Thinking for Teens--Mary K. Alvord, PhD "In this timely masterpiece of a book, Khanna and Kendall give parents the tools to prevent, address, and overcome childhood anxiety. Building on decades of scientific evidence, and translating all of it into clear, practical steps that parents can use right away. It's the closest thing to having the greatest minds in the field of childhood anxiety by your side, coaching you every step of the way!" --Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD, associate professor at the Yale Child Study Center, and author of Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD--Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD "Khanna and Kendall delivered what parents (and policymakers) have long needed--pragmatic, evidence-based guidance on how to instill resilience in our kids and contribute to the betterment of our nation's public health. As we all witnessed throughout the pandemic, The Resilience Recipe is exactly what parents need to counter the growing mental health toll on our children." --Aneesh Chopra, former US Chief Technology Officer (2009-2012), and author of Innovative State--Aneesh Chopra "One of the greatest sources of stress for parents is feeling unable to help their kids with stress. Thankfully, two leading experts have written an informative, practical book that will make it easier to understand--and support--children and teens with anxiety and depression." --Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Option B--Adam Grant "Our children are being overwhelmed by the challenges of the modern world, but you can help. Resilience is a skill that children can learn step by step, and like a coach who does not expect mastery on day one, when you understand what resilience is and where it comes from you can gain the patience and wisdom to support that learning process. Mixing methods, concepts, and findings from all of the waves and eras of the cognitive behavioral tradition, this gentle and wise volume will help your child learn to feel their feelings, manage their judgments, and choose actions that produce positive outcomes." --Steven C. Hayes, PhD, Nevada Foundation Professor in the department of psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno; and originator and codeveloper of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)--Steven C. Hayes, PhD "This valuable book provides excellent advice to help anxious kids (and anxious parents) learn important skills to manage their anxiety and thrive, even in a period of uncertainty. It is written in a clear, accessible way, and provides a concrete four-step program with 'conversation starters' to engage and motivate children and teens to participate. This book will be useful not only for parents and caregivers, but also for school counselors and therapists." --Judith S. Beck, PhD, president of the nonprofit Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and author of Cognitive Behavior Therapy--Judith S. Beck, PhD