Raising Anti-Doomers: How to Bring Up Resilient Kids Through Climate Change and Tumultuous Times

Therapist Cook-Shonkoff’s insightful debut aims to help parents keep their families grounded during the current “polycrisis.” Climate change, mass shootings, and social media usage loom large over childhood, Cook-Shonkoff suggests, and while such issues can bring up emotions that cause one to turn cynical or tune out, she cautions that parents can’t afford to stay stuck in despair. She encourages adults to have age-appropriate discussions with children about tough topics and posits that giving kids knowledge to face realities about climate change is just as crucial as imparting wisdom on such widely acknowledged threats as stranger danger and sexual abuse. The author also provides mind-body exercises that parents can do with children to help them identify how emotions might show up in their bodies, such as “anger in fists” or “sadness in chest.” Cook-Shonkoff offers no shortage of inspiration and practical guidance, as when she urges families to practice what they preach, including by volunteering at food banks or animal shelters. This smart, straightforward guide is a must for parents hoping to raise kids who will be part of the solution. Agent: Lindsay Edgecombe, Levine Greenberg Literary. (Aug.)