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Roberto Benigni’s critically acclaimed role in the movie Life is Beautiful, which earned him an Oscar, poignantly illustrates what a caring, charismatic adult does to shield a young boy from the horrors of captivity in a concentration camp as they were thrown into the atrocities of war. With his resilient ways, Guido Orefice, the father in this movie, interacts reassuringly with his son and helps him gain a sense of control over his life in the midst of chaos. The question then arises: Are all adults inherently equipped to cast a positive influence on a child? When polled, American adults always indicate their genuine concern for the budding American youth; however, children of misfortune are often stamped from the beginning with heavy odds weighing against their wholesome development. Researchers agree that the consistent factor that tips the scale in a child’s favor is a caring and influential adult.

On this episode, psychologist and prolific author, Dr. Robert Brooks, whose expertise includes resiliency, motivation, and parenting, talks about the role of a charismatic adult in developing well-adjusted children.

About Robert Brooks, Ph.D.
Dr. Robert Brooks is a psychologist on the faculty of Harvard Medical School (part-time) and former Director of the Department of Psychology at McLean Hospital, a private psychiatric hospital.  He has lectured nationally and internationally and written extensively about such themes as motivation, resilience, school and work climate, parenting and family relationships, and balancing our personal and professional lives.  He is the author or co-author of 17 books including “Raising Resilient Children,” “The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life,” “Handbook of Resilience in Children,” and “Children’s Classroom Behavior: Creating Sustainable, Resilient Classrooms.”

Website

• http://www.drrobertbrooks.com/

Books

• The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
• Drive by Daniel Pink
• Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson
• Rethinking Positive Thinking by Gabriele Oettingen

About Host, Sucheta Kamath
Sucheta Kamath, is an award-winning speech-language pathologist, a TEDx speaker, a celebrated community leader, and the founder and CEO of ExQ®. As an EdTech entrepreneur, Sucheta has designed ExQ's personalized digital learning curriculum/tool that empowers middle and high school students to develop self-awareness and strategic thinking skills through the mastery of Executive Function and social-emotional competence.

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