I did a giveaway of the book The Secrets of Happy Families by Scott Haltzman, M.D., in August and I’m happy to say I’m doing another one this week. Grab a cup of coffee, read the latest excerpt and leave a comment at the end for your chance to win a copy.
Happy Families…Bounce
Some say, sure, it’s easy to be a happy family when life is good. When money isn’t a problem, when the kids are little angels, when we’re all healthy, when the in-laws are loving and supportive, when partners are joyfully in love — boy, are we happy! But what about real people in real families with some real trouble? Can we be expected to be happy when times are tough?
Yes.
Bad things happen. Financial hardship, hospitalization, relocation, problems at school, even physical abuse — they happen all the time in all families. Some families fall apart under the strain; others take the hit, but bounce right back. Why is that? Why can some families, but not others, weather the tough times and remain strong, loving and happy? The key secret of the families who are able to bounce is found in one word: resiliency.
VOTING FOR RESILIENCY
Resiliency is a common term, usually associated with toughness or durability; for example, the balsam fir is a resilient tree, able to withstand harsh northern winters. In human psychology terms, it often refers to the capacity of an individual to recover quickly from a misfortune or trauma and maintain an established pattern of functioning. More simply, resiliency is the quality of families that can stretch and bounce back when confronted with challenges! Not only is this ability important, but, according to the individuals who completed the Happy Family Survey, it is the single more important factor in keeping a family together.
When asked what contributed most to a happy family, respondents were asked to rank the following six factors: (1) agreeing about money, (2) resiliency, (3) doing a lot of activities as a family, (4) having children grow up with both biological parents, (5) living within an hour’s distance from the children’s grandparents, and (6) attending religious services weekly.
Resiliency was given the number one vote more than any other factor. When I analyzed the data, I found an interesting phenomenon. This choice of resiliency as an important factor in a happy family didn’t waver according to the type of family: whether respondents were in a traditional nuclear, step, blended, single-parent, or gay or lesbian family, all recognized that if you have resiliency, then you have the necessary ingredient to have a happy family.
Unfortunately, having a family that can weather the slings and arrows of life’s outrageous fortune doesn’t come easy. That’s why its integral role in family dynamics is too often kept a secret.
Excerpted from The Secrets of Happy Families by Scott Haltzman, M.D. Copyright © 2009 by Scott Haltzman. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Want your very own copy of The Secrets of Happy Families? Here’s how to enter for a chance to win:
TO ENTER:
♣ Leave a comment. That’s it! Limit one comment per person, per day.
WAYS TO GET BONUS ENTRIES:
♣ Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email, then leave a comment letting me know.
♣ Tweet this giveaway and leave a comment with the link. (You can do this daily.) Optional phrasing for your Tweet: I’m entered to win a copy of The Secrets of Happy Families from @MomofTwinsPlus2. Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/ykqrsx2.
♣ Post on your blog with a link about the giveaway and leave a comment with a link to your post.
♣ Favorite me on Technorati (leave your username).
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Giveaway ends at 11:59 Central Standard Time, Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. The winner will be chosen using random.org. Winner will have 24 hours to respond to notification with shipping info. If no response, another winner will be chosen.
Good luck!
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Have you entered my Baking Kids Love giveaway? Check out the yummy recipe and leave a comment for your chance to win!
I tweeted about this before I read the comments about how you wanted it tweeted. So I don’t know if I’ll get the extra credit, but I’m not gonna worry about it. If it’s meant to be, I’ll win the book with just this one entry.
I honestly hadn’t heard of your book before I saw the tweet from @DrMichellexo, and after reading the exert I am really intrigued & will definitely add to my wishlist to get one day.
I’ve been unemployed for nearly 1-1/2 years now so $ is VERY tight and I can certainly relate to what was shared above. It has been very hard to keep things well within the family since our income was cut in half (right on the heels of a major home remodel of course
but we’ve managed. Our kids seem to really understand the situation and I know that even when our country was in the great depression…people supported each other and held together. Things will turn around, but we can’t risk the damage one can do in a family relationship. I like the part about resiliency…it’s critical!
I completely agree. It is so easy to get bogged down in the stress of day-to-day living. My big problem is making comparisons. I tend to think that everyone else is a better parent, a better wife, a better housekeeper, etc.
This book looks like it will address many issues that are currently facing our family and I’d love to read it.
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Being resilient isn’t difficult when things are good. The question remains-how to be resilient when times are bad. I’d love to read the book.
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Email subscriber.
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Finally, someone who gets it?! Anxious to read the book and see what more there is to say. Common sense in a self-help book? Can it be??
I’ve enjoyed reading the excerpts of this book. I hope I win it this time. GLTA!
I’d really like to read this book. Thak you for highlighting it in a giveaway!
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I would like to be entered please.
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Please enter me. Thanks
GLTA!
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I really liked the excerpts for this book. Please enter me in the contest.
This is a book I’d like to read.
Sounds like good sense in a self-help book – I’d like to read more.
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Good Morning – keep on smiling’
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The sun’s up and so am I. GLTA!
I would love to read this!
Happy Autumn!
I would love to read this, and then pass it along to my sister!
It looks like a good book.
Have a great day!
Is everybody ready for Halloween?
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I would love to read this, thanks for the chance!
This sounds really good. Would love to win and read this. Happy Halloween to all!
great giveaway, great blog, thanks!
This looks great
Please enter me
Thank you for the AWESOME GIVEAWAY.. Please count me in
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It sounds good.
I subscribed to your feed.
Faved you on technorati.(donnak4)
Please enter me into the contest. Thanks!
I subscribed by email.
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