How to Raise Resilient Children

Raising Resilient Children is an eight-week guide by Russell Shaw aimed at helping parents cultivate happiness and reduce worry in their parenting journey. When the author was just 27, they were appointed as dean of students at a school in Northern California, overseeing 400 students from grades 6 through 12. However, the author had no children of their own until later. During the author's first weeks as a parent, they found themselves constantly checking on their newborn child, unsure of what they were doing.

The author emphasizes that there is no single right way to raise a child, as every child and family is unique. Despite the lack of orientation or manual for new parents, the author spent 25 years as a parent and over 30 years as a school administrator, ultimately believing that certain approaches are more beneficial for both children and parents.

The author plans to share their insights through a series of eight weekly emails, each focusing on a different aspect of parenting. Topics covered will include motivation, friendship, failure, and AI. The author will share personal stories from their writing at The Atlantic, providing context and reflection on how each topic can apply to parenting. The series aims to offer an invitation to think differently about parenting rather than providing a rulebook.

The author emphasizes that while they don't have a definitive theory of parenting, they can share the observations they have made throughout their years of raising children. Even on the toughest days, they believe there is real joy to be found in the work of parenting, if one knows where to look for it.