Dancing in the Elevator: Raising Kind, Resilient, and Happy Children

"This book is a gift to every parent who’s ever wondered whether they’re doing enough—or doing it right. A must-read for anyone determined to raise resilient children despite the stress and uncertainty of our increasingly digital world." Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global "As a father of three daughters, I saw my own family in these pages. This isn’t another parenting manual, it’s a compassionate, actionable guide to building connection, confidence, and resilience for our kids and for ourselves." Russell Glass, Former CEO, HeadSpace "In a time when screens have never been more prevalent, anxiety levels continue to rise, and kids struggle with self-worth, this book will empower parents and help them guide the future of our world. As a school counselor, I will recommend it to all my student’s parents.” Sheila Anderson, K-12 Professional School Counselor Parenting in the Attention Economy: Do Different, Not More The evidence is mounting: you’re pouring more time, emotion, and resources into your children than any previous generation. Yet kids’ anxiety, distraction, and burnout are at multi-decade highs. What if it’s not about doing more, but doing it differently? What everyday practices help families raise thriving kids today? For more than five years, Dr. Sood (a resilience expert and former Mayo Clinic professor) and his daughter, Gauri (a Harvard psychology major), have explored this question on campuses and in communities nationwide. Through hundreds of candid conversations with thoughtful students and their families, they’ve uncovered illuminating insights into what helps young people thrive in today's world — emotionally, socially, and academically. Dancing in the Elevator distills those discoveries into a warm, practical guide. It reveals what happens when a resilience scientist brings his life’s work home and how your family can benefit from the tools he’s developed. Inside, you’ll discover: Forces depleting your child’s focus, self-worth, and mental health Simple strategies to buffer them from these pressures Practices to boost confidence, social skills, and lasting motivation Parent tools to stay calm, grounded, and connected No matter your child’s age, Dancing in the Elevator offers you field-tested skills rooted in leading research from psychology, resilience, neuroscience, child development, and related disciplines. In a world engineered to hijack your child’s attention, these skills aren’t optional. They’re essential. Join this intergenerational team on a simple, powerful mission: to help you raise a thriving child while building a family bond no screen can ever replace. View Less