For the past three decades, the prevailing wisdom in parenting and education has been that high self-esteem is the holy grail of child development. We were told that if children feel good about themselves, they will be successful, healthy, and well-adjusted. Consequently, a culture of participation trophies, "everyone is a winner," and excessive praise emerged.
The data proves that teaching a child to interpret setbacks accurately (not cheerfully) is the single most effective safeguard against the downward spiral of depression. For the past three decades, the prevailing wisdom
The goal, therefore, should not be high self-esteem, but high and optimism. The data proves that teaching a child to
The goal of The Optimistic Child is not to raise a smiling Pollyanna who ignores danger. That is toxic positivity. The goal is to raise a —a child who, when knocked down, pauses, assesses the terrain, adjusts their explanation, and stands up. That is toxic positivity