“A wealth of forthright information.” —Parenting Magazine
"An inspiring book that can improve the quality of family life." —Library Journal
Our families can fill us with joy or bother us with constant, even unconscious, power struggles throughout our lives. This new, revised edition of The Winning Family shows a new generation of parents exactly how to strengthen children with positivity and empathy by building instead of tearing down, and responding instead of reacting. Step by step, this beloved book teaches crucial parenting techniques that break intergenerational blame/shame/enabling patterns and help children develop skills to become confident, capable adults with self-worth and healthy self-concepts.
Dr. Louise Hart and Kristen Caven, a mother-and-daughter writing team, have packed The Winning Family with the latest information, helpful tips, and insightful personal stories from four generations. They present powerful, practical tools in a simple and easy-to-use way.
More than a book on parenting, The Winning Family: Where No One Has to Lose focuses on the personal development of parents along with the development of their children. Written by a mother/daughter team, it provides four generations of wisdom and an inspiring personal story. A mental and emotional health bible for parents and grown children, this book presents a hopeful model for breaking out of damaging patterns and shaping families characterized by joy and satisfaction, not manipulation and guilt.
In addition to the wealth of positive, forthright information that made this book a best-seller a generation ago, this new edition contains updated information for parents around digital media, food & mood, family boundaries, fractured families, and a new approach to preventing ACEs that mitigates trauma. This book shows how to activate the power of love in a non-threatening, non-prescriptive way, embracing the diversity of families, illuminating the nitty gritty of communication and parent leadership. Three chapters on cultural barriers to self-esteem and family wellness provide compassion and understanding around racial, gender, economic and neurological difference.
UPDATE: As of 2025, the publisher has added an audiobook, interactive classes, and an illustrated "playbook" that enrich the reader experience. Learn more at www.upliftpress.com
Kristen Caven and Dr. Louise Hart have been working on positive parenting education since the day Kristen was born, with Louise pioneering a new mothering style. Decades later they were both in school—Kristen a freshman in college, Louise in grad school working on her doctorate in community psychology, when they both decided to be writers. Six years later, they worked together revising The Winning Family for Celestial Arts, which was eventually published in six countries.
Wings of Self-Esteem was based on Hart’s personal transformation from a “mousy doctor’s wife” to an international speaker who soared beyond expectations. Its unique approach to self-esteem recovery was highly praised by many, including Jack Canfield, Jerry Jampolsky, Dr. Bernie Siegel, and Dr. Michele Borba.
As a professional speaker, Louise taught parents, teachers, and caregivers her earned wisdom, delivering over 400 presentations to communities and military families across the nation, in Germany, Japan, and Okinawa with visuals created by Kristen, who become an award-winning artist and writer known for her comics, literary works, and performances. Louise retired from speaking to live near her children and grandchildren.
The two continued writing together while Kristen was advising and leading organizations such as Child Friendly Initiative, Oakland Parents Together, and PTA groups. They published newsletters and articles, and brought Pat Palmer’s children’s books back into print. Their third book, The Bullying Antidote: Superpower Your Kids for Life, requested by Hazelden Publishing, was the first book to frame bullying as related to ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). Kristen directed The Zorgos Project, which distributed 3000 copies to parents in Oakland, California, where anti-bullying work is centered on social justice and building healthy community relationships. Kristen also earned a certificate in Positive Psychology, coming full circle through her mother’s contributions to a greater understanding of the dignity of children.
The two share a passion for writing, children and healthy families and societies. Kristen also inherited Louise’s love for travel, and Louise absorbed Kristen’s love of dancing.