Children and their parents have struggled mightily with mental health during the pandemic. Now, in this new phase of the pandemic, we are beginning to rebuild and re-envision our lives with bravery and resilience. Michele Borba, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned educator, award-winning author, and parenting child expert recognized for her solution-based strategies to strengthen children’s character, resilience, and reduce peer cruelty. In this episode of Psychologists Off the Clock, Yael and Michele discuss Thriving and the character strengths it takes to be one. Join us to learn practical strategies proven to help children build those character strengths and thrive in their lives. Listen and Learn: Yael and Jill’s personal experiences with thriving and how they approach this topic with their kiddosMichele’s expert-based definition of what it means to be a ThriverThe character strengths of Thrivers How to thrive in real life (warts and weaknesses in tow!)Practical advice to foster bravery and resilience in childrenOn-the-ground, proven strategies parents can apply to help ALL kids develop the characteristics of thriving (read: even those with hormonal imbalances or de-stabilizing life experiences)Michele and Yael’s thoughts on creating environments where your children might most easily thriveFollowing your kids’ passions and allowing them to develop hobbies and how to set up useful boundaries in the meantime (we see you, Fortnite and Minecraft parents!)The usefulness of cutting one thing out of your activity list for the weekEverything you need to know about the important differences between self-confidence and self-esteemMichele’s expert tips on praising your kids in ways that support the development of self-confidence rather than inflating their egoPractical strategies for what to do in real-life, tricky situations where you must balance fostering perseverance or “bubble-wrapping” How to best support thriving and the development of resilience in children who have experienced varying forms of traumaMichele’s (surprising!) favorite movie and book recommendations for inspiring your kids Resources: Michele’s book, Thrivers: Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine Alison Gopnik’s book, The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us about the Relationship Between Parents and Children and its accompanying workbookMichele’s book recommendation, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad DayAttend Debbie’s webinar on ACT for Burnout!Grab your copy of all our favorite books at bookshop.org/shop/offtheclockpsych.Check out Debbie, Diana, Yael, and Jill’s websites to access their offerings, sign up for their newsletters, buy their books, and more! About Dr. Michele Borba: Michele Borba, Ed.D. is an internationally renowned educator, award-winning author, and parenting child expert recognized for her solution-based strategies to strengthen children’s character, resilience, and reduce peer cruelty. A sought-after motivational speaker, she has spoken in 19 countries and five continents, and served as a consultant to hundreds of schools and corporations. She offers realistic, research-based advice culled from a career working with over one million parents and educators worldwide. Dr. Borba is an NBC contributor who has appeared over 150 times on the TODAY show and countless others. Michele is recognized globally for her work in bullying and youth violence prevention and is currently a media spokesperson for several major corporations. She is the award-winning author of 24 books translated into 19 languages including her latest book (spring 2021) Thrivers: Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine and its accompanying workbook.