Madeline Levine, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist and Author
Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World
Increasingly, the world we know has become disturbing, unfamiliar, and even threatening. In the wake of uncertainty and rapid change, adults are doubling-down on the pressure-filled parenting style that pushes children to excel. Yet these daunting expectations, combined with the stress parents feel and unwittingly project onto their children, are leading to a generation of young people who are overwhelmed, exhausted, distressed—and unprepared for the future that awaits them. While these damaging effects are known, the world into which these children are coming of age is not. And continuing to focus primarily on grades and performance are leaving kids more ill-prepared than ever to navigate the challenges to come.
When her ground-breaking book The Price of Privilege came out in 2006, respected clinician Madeline Levine, Ph.D. was among the first to disseminate the research about the deficits created by parents giving kids of privilege too much of the wrong things and not enough of the right things. Continuing to address the mistaken notions about what children need to thrive in Teach Your Children Well, Dr. Levine tore down the myth that good grades, high test scores, and college acceptances should define the parenting endgame. In her highly anticipated follow-up Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World, she continues the discussion, showing how these same parenting practices, combined with a desperate need to shelter children from discomfort and anxiety, are setting future generations up to fail spectacularly.
Using the latest developments in neuroscience and epigenetics, as well as extensive research gleaned from captains of industry, entrepreneurs, military leaders, scientists, academics, and futurists, Dr. Levine identifies the skills that children need to succeed in a tumultuous future: adaptability, mental agility, curiosity, collaboration, tolerance for failure, resilience, and optimism. Most important, Levine offers day-to-day solutions parents can use to raise kids who are prepared, enthusiastic, and ready to face an unknown future with confidence and optimism.
In addition to her clinical practice and work as a consultant, educator, and speaker, Dr. Levine is a cofounder of Challenge Success, a project of the Stanford Graduate School of Education that provides families and schools with the practical, research-based tools they need to create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for kids.
Dr. Levine will give a 30-minute presentation followed by a short interview with FAN Executive Director Lonnie Stonitsch.
REGISTRATION REQUIRED for all FAN webinar events. This webinar event will be recorded and available later on our website and YouTube Channel.
Those who purchase a copy of Ready or Not through The Book Stall will receive a link to a special post-event gathering with Dr. Levine following her presentation.
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- Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy
- Personality Across Development Lab (PADlab) at Northwestern University
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- The Family Institute at Northwestern University
- The House Tutoring Lounge
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