The Umbrella Effect
Jennifer Forristal
Prepare your child to thrive through all of life’s challenges.
Life isn’t always sunny. As parents, we spend a lot of time wishing the storm clouds away because we don’t know how to guide our kids through them, preparing them for any challenge that lies ahead.
In The Umbrella Effect, Dr. Jen Forristal explains step-by-step what kids really need as they learn to navigate the ups and downs of life. Discover how to cut through the noise and focus on the big picture of your child’s well-being, keep a pulse on how they’re doing, and evaluate their coping skills through each stage of their childhood.
Through casual conversation starters, research-based principles, and easy parenting shifts, you’ll get a clear picture of where your kids are thriving and what they need next. Invest in their future happiness today and help them develop the skills they need to weather any storm.
Press & Praise
With The Umbrella Project, Dr. Forristal has provided a clear and powerful framework that can help any parent navigate raising children in a healthy and positive way. As a scientist myself, I appreciate the foundation in research that Dr. Forristal used to create The Umbrella Project concept, yet I also appreciate that her principles and recommendations are based in practice and experience. Dr. Forristal also lets the reader know how to apply the ideas from The Umbrella Project to your family with simple and powerful questions that you can ask your children, which will spark transformative conversations. Ultimately this book can help you become more intentional with your parenting so that your children can grow and thrive in a world of constant change and uncertainty.
When we equip people with the tools to manage their emotions, health, and challenges, we give them an umbrella—a resource that not only prevents the rainy days from overwhelming them but also gives people the opportunity to be a shelter for others. When others find their own umbrella, it's not the rain, but the umbrella effect that ripples. This is the work that Jen is doing, and I'm grateful to be a part of it.
Dr. Jen absolutely nails it with this book. If you are a parent or work with children then you need to read this! Dr. Jen bluntly confronts the reality that our world can be a harsh one, filled with storms. In doing so, she articulates that the best gift parents and educators can give children are the skills to carry on in the face of adversity, sadness, and suffering—in sum, to raise kids that learn to adapt instead of avoid. Key to this is the message that the rain will always come, so if we provide our children with strong umbrellas, they have a greater chance of success and more importantly, happiness. Dr. Jen gives us an easy-to-digest step-by-step guide on exactly how we can give our children the skills they need to thrive. As a parent, I am infinitely grateful for this book.
