Decades of research have shown that having a healthy sense of control over their own lives is extremely beneficial for children, teenagers, and adults. This is because a strong sense of control is highly related to positive mental health, and also because intrinsic or self-motivation requires a strong sense of autonomy. In their previous two books, Dr. Stixrud and Mr. Johnson have suggested dozens of ways that parents and educators can foster a sense of control in their children and students. However, giving teens more control can be challenging – and stressful – for adults! In this talk, Dr. Stixrud and Mr. Johnson will discuss their forthcoming book, The Seven Principles of Raising a Self-Driven Child, the purpose of which is to help adults feel that it’s right – and safe – to trust kids more and to support them in learning to run their own lives. The presentation will focus on the basic principles of their approach, why applying these principles can be challenging, and ways to solve the challenges that are helpful to kids and that work for their parents and teachers.
This virtual presentation is free and open to the public.
William Stixrud, Ph.D., is a clinical neuropsychologist and founder of The Stixrud Group, as well as a faculty member at Children’s National Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine. He is the author of several articles and book chapters on topics related to the adolescent brain, stress and mental health, and meditation. Additionally, Dr. Stixrud is a long-time practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, and he plays in the rock band Close Enough.
Ned Johnson is founder and president of PrepMatters, for 30 years a trusted provider of one-on-one academic tutoring and test prep in the DC region. A professional tutor-geek since 1993, Mr. Johnson has spent more than 50,000 one-on-one hours helping teens prepare for an alphabet of standardized tests by helping them better understand not just tests but their own brains and learning as the keys to peak performance. In addition to coauthoring books with his friend Bill Stixrud, Ned is host of The Self-Driven Child Podcast and social media influencer for Bill & Ned’s Excellent Venture.
Dr. Stixrud and Mr. Johnson are the co-authors of the national best-selling book, The Self-Driven Child, which is published in 19 countries and 18 languages. It has sold more than 800,000 copies worldwide and, as of 2023, a one-hour podcast based on the book has been downloaded in China 39,000,000 times. Dr. Stixrud and Mr. Johnson have also authored an acclaimed second book, What Do You Say? Talking with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home. Their third book, The Seven Principles for Raising a Self-Driven Child, will be published in February 2025.
Dr. Stixrud’s and Mr. Johnson’s work has been featured in media outlets such as NPR, CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Times of London, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, Scientific American, Business Week, Barron's, New York Magazine, and Vogue. They have also given hundreds of lectures about their books and have discussed their ideas on over 100 podcasts.