13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do: Raising Self-Assured Children and Training Their Brains for a Life of Happiness, Meaning, and Success

Psychotherapist Morin’s worthy follow-up to 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do extends her dos-and-don’ts formula to parenting. Each chapter examines one don’t, such as don’t “condone a victim mentality,” “parent out of guilt,” “expect perfection,” “prevent [your] child from making mistakes,” or “confuse discipline with punishment.” And each chapter opens with an anecdote illustrative of the identified problem; contains signs to recognize, new dos to adopt, and sections on different ages; and wraps up with a troubleshooting summary. For example, in “They Don’t Make Their Child the Center of the Universe,” Morin discusses how people trying to avoid mistakes their own parents made often use excessive praise with their kids, unintentionally nurturing narcissism instead of healthy self-esteem. Her combination of common sense backed by research—amply cited—will help parents make a midcourse correction. While the title focuses on the negative, the book itself accentuates the positive. Parents should find Morin’s work inspiring. Agent: Stacey Glick, Dystel & Goderich. (Sept.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review misspelled the author's last name.