The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives

腦神經科學家William Stixrud和青少年行為專家Ned Johnson兩人在各自的領域都發現，就算是成績好、表現比同儕亮眼的孩子，都還是有壓力過大、缺乏動力的問題，最常聽見的原因是「對自己的人生沒有掌控權」，兩人研究發現這也是讓孩子擺脫焦慮、順利成長的關鍵。兩人強調，給孩子掌控權並非代表家長要完全放棄權威，與其從學校一路監控到放學後的交友狀況，必須適時放手，扮演好輔助的角色，讓孩子面對挑戰時更有彈性！

此由兩位經驗豐富的專家為家長、孩子聯手打造的成功密帖，本書除了精闢、創新的理論之外，兩位作者也加入了案例分析，閱讀起來豐富完整、更有說服力。


“Instead of trusting kids with choices . . . many parents insist on micromanaging everything from homework to friendships. For these parents, Stixrud and Johnson have a simple message: Stop.” —NPR

“This humane, thoughtful book turns the latest brain science into valuable practical advice for parents.” —Paul Tough, New York Times bestselling author of How Children Succeed

A few years ago, Bill Stixrud and Ned Johnson started noticing the same problem from different angles: Even high-performing kids were coming to them acutely stressed and lacking motivation. Many complained they had no control over their lives. Some stumbled in high school or hit college and unraveled. Bill is a clinical neuropsychologist who helps kids gripped by anxiety or struggling to learn. Ned is a motivational coach who runs an elite tutoring service. Together they discovered that the best antidote to stress is to give kids more of a sense of control over their lives. But this doesn't mean giving up your authority as a parent. In this groundbreaking book they reveal how you can actively help your child to sculpt a brain that is resilient, and ready to take on new challenges.

The Self-Driven Child offers a combination of cutting-edge brain science, the latest discoveries in behavioral therapy, and case studies drawn from the thousands of kids and teens Bill and Ned have helped over the years to teach you how to set your child on the real road to success. As parents, we can only drive our kids so far. At some point, they will have to take the wheel and map out their own path. But there is a lot you can do before then to help them tackle the road ahead with resilience and imagination.