TPP 061a: Dr. Robyn Silverman Talks About Nurturing Character Strengths in Our Kids

In this episode of the TiLT Parenting Podcast, I’m bringing to you a conversation with the fantastic Dr. Robyn Silverman, a child and adolescent development specialist who focuses on nurturing kids’ character strengths, and body/self esteem development during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. As a strong believer that children are assets to be developed not deficits to be managed, Robyn’s work reflects a positive approach that shows that with the right tools, all young people have the ability to thrive and succeed. 

Dr. Robyn has so much insight to share and this is definitely one of those rich conversations with many insights and useful nuggets, but the core focus of our conversation is character development, character strengths, and self-growth and how we as parents can best nurture the values and character traits in our differently-wired children that are so important to us. 

Dr. Robyn Silverman has spent more than 15 years researching, writing and working in the areas of leadership development, character education, body image, developmental psychology, social-emotional learning and most recently, grit, “strength-finding” and success. She recently launched a podcast, How to Talk to Kids About Anything, and is a frequently featured expert in the national media, including The Today Show and Good Morning America.

Things you’ll learn from this episode

• How to see kids as assets to be developed, not deficits to be managed
• Ways to help your child tap into his or her strengths
• What character is and why we need to help kids develop it
• The value in answering the questions: What would I want people to say about my kid? When I’m not there, what would I hope my child would do or say? What would my child say is really important to me?
• How to avoid the pit of getting sucked into the “Fictitious Facebook Family” comparison
• What to do when your child isn’t embodying the values and character traits you hold dear
• How children benefit when we look at them through their strengths

Resources mentioned for nurturing our kids’ character

• Dr. Robyn Silverman’s website
• How to Talk to Kids About Anything (Dr. Robyn’s podcast)
• Jess Weiner’s website
• A Deep Dive into Assessments, Diagnoses, and Labels with Dr. Melissa Neff (podcast)
• Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon
• Andrew Solomon’s TED Talk, Love No Matter What
• Learning to Lie (article in New York Magazine)
• Dina Alexander—Educate and Empower Kids

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• Visit Tilt Parenting
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• Read a chapter of Differently Wired
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