Character Building Stories: Friendship Skills for Raising Happy Children + 75 Parenting Tips is available on Kindle

Edmonds, WA -- (SBWire) -- 03/24/2014 --Most young children lack the experience and insight to be socially competent. They make mistakes, fear rejection, act bossy, or feel shy. Even parents, teachers, and counselors struggle to discuss the topic of making friends with children, but a new book entitled Character Building Stories: Friendship Skills for Raising Happy Children is designed to help adults initiate this essential dialogue with kids of all ages.

Friendship skills, the foundation for happiness in children and school achievement, include good communication, positive relationships with peers, and understanding social cues. Research tells us socially skilled children like school, appear motivated, and regulate their emotions in ways that promote learning and friendships.

“Children without friends experience sadness, confusion, discouragement. Some lose interest in school,” explained author Jean Tracy.

Tracy, who is also the founder of KidsDiscuss.com, is a former teacher and experienced family counselor. It was her work in the field of family counseling that spurred her to write Character Building Stories: Friendship Skills for Raising Happy Children.

“Because many children have difficulty making friends, it’s essential to guide them with friendship skills. Parents, teachers, and counselors can use the character building stories at home, in the classroom, and in the counseling office.”

“Discussing the stories, choosing some or all of the 75 parenting tips, and teaching the friendship skills is easy,” Tracy explained, “I wrote Character Building Stories: Friendship Skills for Raising Happy Children to provide adults with a non-threatening way to start talking with their children. Each of the 20 stories offers children opportunities to voice opinions, discuss problems, and role-play how to make friends.

Character Building Stories: Friendship Skills for Raising Happy Children offers a wide range of different stories, each with a distinct friendship skill. Some of the stories include:

- Eddie and the Eyeball Tactic – Eddie learns the power of eye contact as well as being a good sport.

- Funny-Bones Fanny and the Laughter Law – Fanny overcomes her fear of the spotlight and figures out how to use humor to make friends.

- Ice-Breaker Brenda and the Brave Button – Brenda, the lonely new girl in school, uses a special technique that helps her ask kids to play.

- Nail-Biting Nate and the If-Then Formula – Nate discovers how a cue, breathing, and a self-talk rhyme help him overcome his shyness.

- Rubber Band Ruby and the Friendly Stretch – Ruby realizes that bossing others isolates her. She learns that playing others’ games is a better way to make friends.

Parents are encouraged to provide their children with a three-ring binder for stowing their drawings and captions. The binder becomes a positive resource for the child on how to make friends.

Parents, teachers, and counselors will receive 3 bonuses to share with their children including 50 social skills to practice and role play.

Character Building Stories: Friendship Skills for Raising Happy Children is Available at Amazon.com for $6.95 USD

Tracy offers a free parenting skills blog via www.ParentingSkillsBlog.com

You Tube Video for Character Building Stories: Friendship Skills for Raising Happy Children

Media Contact
Contact Jean Tracy, MSS
425-742-9181
JeanTracy@KidsDiscuss.com
http://www.KidsDiscuss.com