Happy Families - how to make one - how to keep one
04 May 06

Last week Anthony Seldon, headmaster of Wellington College , announced that he is planning to teach his pupils how to be happy.  He hopes that they will leave school academically AND emotionally equipped to be successful in all areas of their life.

It's an admirable aim and he isn't alone in understanding the importance of happiness. Leading academic institutions such as Cambridge University and Harvard have set up courses or institutes in happiness and well-being. Researchers and leading thinkers have published reports, articles and books on the meaning and pursuit of happiness.

But when did this become the responsibility of schools and institutions rather than families?

Leading positive psychology expert Dr Bill Lucas believes that happiness starts in the heart of the family - get that right and the knock on positive effects on society will be startling.

He comments that: "Parents spend too much time thinking about material things and not about the basic happiness of their children.  It is high time to redress the balance and there simple techniques available to help parents make this happen."

He delivers these simple techniques in his new book Happy Families (written with Dr Stephen Briers).  Drawing upon proven research, it is the first book to give families a proactive approach to creating and maintaining a happy, healthy and, nurturing family. The techniques work for all families, whether they are step families, single parents or the more traditional model.

	Happy Families
	Author	Bill Lucas, Stephen Briers
	Pub Date	26 Apr 2006
	Price	£10.99
	Publisher	BBC Active
	ISBN10	0563519428
	ISBN13	9780563519423
		Click here for further information or to purchase Happy Families.

For further information please contact:
Elie Ball, PR Manager
t: 07803 392 710
e: elie.ball@pearson.com

To view our latest news releases, please click here.