Raising Happy Kids - An interview with Maureen Healy, Author of The Happiness Workbook for Kids

Award-winning author, Maureen Healy is my guest on this week’s episode to talk all about emotions. When you think that our brains aren’t fully developed until our mid-twenties, it puts into perspective how difficult it is to deal with ever-changing emotions at the age of, say, 8 years old. My guest, Maureen, talks about her book ‘The Happiness Workbook for Kids’, and how it can help you as a parent or teacher to teach kids how to deal with emotions in a healthy way.

The topics we cover in this episode are;

Why Maureen decided to write the book

Emotions are temporary so how do you deal with them at that moment?

There are no bad emotions

Patience is key with learning how to let difficult emotions pass

Why you should celebrate wins

How thinking of the science of brain development can help

What are the best activities in getting kids to stop, think and make better choices?

Thinking about your ripple effect

Breathing exercises

Having the students as the teacher

Different forms of Meditation

About The Guest - Maureen Healy

Maureen Healy is an award-winning author, sought-after speaker and leader focused on children’s emotional health. She writes a popular blog for Psychology Today, which has reached millions worldwide. Tal Ben-Shahar said, “Maureen has provided an important antidote to the difficult times so many of our kids are going through these days” describing her new book: The Happiness Workbook for Kids. Healy’s prior book, The Emotionally Healthy Child (preface from Dalai Lama), won the Nautilus Book Award, Book Excellence and Forward Indie in 2019.

With 15+ years of experience, Maureen has guided 1000’s of parents and their children, worked with educators globally, taught in the classroom, and given keynote talks throughout North America, Europe and Asia. She’s also appeared across all media outlets such as: ABC’s “Midday Live” in San Francisco, New York Times and Forbes, PBS’s “This Emotional Life” series, and Scholastic magazine, as examples.

Maureen’s educational credentials include a BA and MBA from Clark University in Worcester, MA and a PhD program in Child Clinical Psychology at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA. Additionally, Maureen has studied with happiness teachers globally, which has bolstered her joy immensely. She says, “Life is never boring,” especially as she continues to learn from every experience she has and person she meets.

​​Website - https://growinghappykids.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/maureendhealy/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/mdhealy