UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World - Hardcover

Borba Dr., Michele

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1501110039 ISBN 13: 9781501110030

Publisher: Touchstone, 2016

Synopsis

Bestselling author Michele Borba offers a 9-step program to help parents cultivate empathy in children, from birth to young adulthood—and explains why developing a healthy sense of empathy is a key predictor of which kids will thrive and succeed in the future.

Is the Selfie Syndrome Undermining Our Kids’ Future?

Teens today are 40 percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago. Why is a lack of empathy—which goes hand-in-hand with the self-absorption epidemic Dr. Michele Borba calls the Selfie Syndrome—so dangerous? First, it hurts kids’ academic performance and leads to bullying behaviors. Also, it correlates with more cheating and less resilience. And once children grow up, a lack of empathy hampers their ability to collaborate, innovate, and problem-solve—all must-have skills for the global economy.

In UnSelfie Dr. Borba pinpoints the forces causing the empathy crisis and shares a revolutionary, researched-based, 9-step plan for reversing it. Readers will learn:

-Why discipline approaches like spanking, yelling, and even time-out can squelch empathy

-How lavish praise inflates kids’ egos and keeps them locked in “selfie” mode

-Why reading makes kids smarter and kinder

-How to help kids be Upstanders—not bystanders—in the face of bullying

-Why self-control is a better predictor of wealth, health, and happiness than grades or IQ

-Why the right mix of structured extracurricular activities and free play is key for teaching collaboration

-How to ignite a Kindness Revolution in your kids and community

The good news? Empathy is a trait that can be taught and nurtured. Dr. Borba offers a framework for parenting that yields the results we all want: successful, happy kids who also are kind, moral, courageous, and resilient. UnSelfie is a blueprint for parents and educators who want to kids shift their focus from I, me, and mine...to we, us, and ours.

About this title

About the Author

Michele Borba, EdD, is an internationally renowned educational psychologist and an expert in parenting, bullying, and character development. One of the foremost authorities on childhood development in the country, she is a regular NBC contributor who appears regularly on Today and has been featured as an expert on Dateline, The View, Dr. Phil, NBC Nightly News, Fox & Friends, Dr. Oz, and The Early Show, among many others. She lives in Palm Springs, California, with her husband, and she is the mother of three grown sons.

Review

Praise for Michele Borba:

“[The] go-to parent expert.” Author: CNN

“The most trusted parenting expert in America.” Author: Dr. Drew

“The Mommy Whisperer.” Author: Natalie Morales, TODAY show

"In this brilliant and timely book, Michele Borba brings into sharp relief the key skill for children making it in the twenty-first century -- empathy. This beautifully written, eminently actionable book will inspire parents and their children to take on the complex issues of our twenty-first century guided by the power of empathy and kindness. This book offers a roadmap to a much brighter future." Author: Dacher Keltner, director of the Greater Good Science Center and author of The Power Paradox: How we Gain and Lose Influence

"UnSelfie is an absolute must-read for parents. Want your children to be both caring and successful? UnSelfie shows you how, with easy to implement techniques grounded in the latest research. It turns out that empathy-- understanding other people's feelings -- is not just "nice," but one of the most useful skills your children can learn. An engaging read with vivid stories and practical advice, UnSelfie is the most important parenting book you will read this year." Author: Jean M. Twenge, author of Generation Me and co-author of The Narcissism Epidemic

“UnSelfie contains everything parents and educators need how to know to give children the ‘empathy advantage’ and raise a new generation of caring, happy, successful kids. Nobody on the planet is better than Michele Borba at showing you how to put empathy into action. Read this book. It will change your kids' lives!” Author: Jack Canfield, Coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Parent’s Soul and The Success Principles™

"Once again Dr. Michele Borba has written a book that is not only 'good' but essential. By writing about empathy in the context of our children's increased technology use, Dr. Borba penetrates the often hidden world of electronics. She does so with a science-based perspective that mirrors our own common sense. UnSelfie is a must-read for parents, teachers, and policy-makers." Author: Michael Gurian, author of The Wonder of Boys and The Wonder of Girls

“Dr. Borba’s 9-step plan for raising successful, happy kids who also are kind, courageous, and resilient provides a revolutionary new framework for learning empathy. Empathetic kids will thrive in the future, but the seeds of success can be planted today—one habit at a time. Read this book to find out how.” Author: Madeline Levine, author of The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well

“Countless books advise parents on how to foster their children’s achievement and determination. But in order to succeed in today’s world, it’s just as important to be kind, compassionate, and concerned about the well-being of others. If you care about cultivating these traits in your child – and you should – you’ll heed Michele Borba’s wise advice.” Author: Laurence Steinberg, Ph.D., author of The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting

“As a parent and educator, I understand why so many of us are worried about the impact of constant connectivity and self-focus our culture so often glorifies. But Michele Borba's UnSelfie gives us such a powerful tool to counteract these seemingly overwhelming challenges. She has wonderful and practical ways to reconnect with our children and guide them so they can develop healthy relationships with others. And really her advice doesn't only apply to our children--we would all do well to follow Borba's advice.I hadn't even finished it and I was already applying her wisdom to how I am raising my sons.” Author: Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes

Edition details

• Publisher: Touchstone
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1501110039
• ISBN 13: 9781501110030
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288