The best way to reduce college admissions stress over the holiday might be not to read (or talk) about it at all. But if you can’t quite turn off the college worries and just need some outside reminders that everything will be OK, here are five worthy holiday reads.
How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character
Paul Tough
Tough argues convincingly that character traits (perseverance, curiosity, optimism, etc.) are much better predictors of success than test scores are.
Teach Your Children Well: Why Values and Coping Skills Matter More Than Grades, Trophies, or “Fat Envelopes”
Madeline Levine, PhD
What should a good parent be doing? How do you judge your success? Levine lays out the research to show that the new parenting end-game of good grades, high test scores, and college acceptances is producing a generation of exhausted kids who define themselves by their last performance. But more importantly, she also gives parents the tools and the confidence to redefine success and raise mature, healthy, and yes, successful adults.
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success
Julie Lythcott-Haims
A former dean at Stanford, Lythcott-Haims saw firsthand just how much damage overparenting does to kids, to parents, and to society. And as a mother herself, she somehow manages to show compassion and understanding for overparenters while remaining resolute in her argument that there has to be—and is—a better way.
Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania
Frank Bruni
Do you feel like the college admissions process is out of control with all the focus on tutors and test prep and who gets in where? Bruni agrees, and reminds readers that successful adults emerge from lots of colleges that aren’t prestigious, and that a high school student’s entire future isn’t decided by one grade, test score, or admissions decision.
The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living
Amit Sood, MD
The college admissions process doesn’t have the market cornered on stress. In fact, Dr. Amit Sood has spent his professional life studying the root causes of stress and shows readers not only why our brains are wired to search for what could go wrong, but also how to manage those worries and appreciate all the good that life serves up day to day. If you’re a parent who, in spite of your best efforts, can’t quite seem to stop worrying long enough to actually enjoy watching your student go through the college admissions process (believe me, it can be done), Sood’s book will give you the tools to get a lot closer to doing so.