Jericho PTA Council Booktalk
Monday, March 18, 2019
Jericho Booktalk - Sponsored by Jericho Joint PTA Council
Monday, Mar 18, 2019, 09:30 AM
JMS Library 99 Old Cedar Swamp Road, Jericho, NY, United States
The 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don't Do
The author of the international bestseller 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do turns her focus to parents, teaching them how to raise mentally strong and resilient children.
Do today’s children lack the flexibility and mental strength they need to cope with life’s challenges in an increasingly complicated and scary world? With safe spaces and trigger warnings designed to "protect" kids, many adults worry that children don’t have the resilience to reach their greatest potential. Amy Morin, the author who identified the characteristics that mentally strong people share, now gives adults—parents, teachers, and other mentors—the tools they need to become mental strength trainers. While other books tell parents what to do, Amy teaches parents what "not to do," which she says is equally important in raising mentally strong youngsters.
As a foster parent, psychotherapist, and expert in family and teen therapy, Amy has witnessed first-hand what works. When children have the skills they need to deal with challenges in their everyday lives, they can flourish socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. With appropriate support, encouragement, and guidance from adults, kids grow stronger and become better. Drawing on her experiences and insight, 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Docombines case studies, practical tips, specific strategies, and concrete and proven exercises to help children of all ages—from preschoolers to teenagers—build mental muscle and develop into healthy, strong adults.
About Amy Morin
By Amy:
I started my career as a psychotherapist thinking about how I was going to help other people become mentally strong. I never imagined how much I was going to need to build my own mental muscles.
After losing my mother and my husband, my interest in mental strength became personal. I began studying people who came into my therapy office to learn why some of them were stronger than others. I wanted to know, what made some people able to turn their struggles into strength.
I realized, the secret to mental strength wasn’t just about what people did—it was more about what they didn’t do.
In 2013, during one of my lowest points, I wrote myself a letter about all the bad habits I wanted to avoid. When I was done, I had a list of 13 things that could rob me of mental strength if I let them.
I found comfort in reading that letter. So a few days later, I published it online. I hoped someone else might find it helpful too.
I never imagined it would resonate with so many people—but that letter was read over 50 million times.
Within a matter of days, a literary agent called and suggested I write a book. And my life has never been the same.
I’ve Written 3 Books
My first book, 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, hit the shelves in 2014. It hit the USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestseller lists. It’s been translated into 33 languages and hit several international bestseller lists too.
Readers of that book kept asking me how to raise mentally strong kids. So, I decided to write a parenting book that would teach parents how to become mental strength coaches. In 2017, 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do was released into the world.
Then, I decided to turn my attention to women. Too often, we picture Navy SEALs or male athletes as being the epitome of mental toughness. I wanted to show that strength comes in many forms. Although the process of building mental strength is the same for men as it is women, I wanted to address the pressures and challenges women face in today’s world as well as the strategies women can use to become the best version of themselves. In December of 2018, 13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don’t Do went on sale.