The Unhappy Child: What Every Parent Needs to Know

There are millions of children in this country who spend most of their days feeling more unhappy than happy, and their parents haven’t a clue as to why. These chronically unhappy children may be on their way to developing a depressive disorder.
In this important and completely accessible book, Dr. Kenneth N. Condrell teaches both parents and mental health professionals the ten most common, yet sometimes not-so-obvious causes of childhood unhappiness. More important, he offers practical solutions — solutions that can help troubled children and protect them from a lifetime of unhappiness.
Not only parents but school administrators, guidance and teaching personnel, pediatric office staff, and mental health professionals will greatly benefit from Dr. Condrell’s 35 years of experience helping children with emotional problems.
Readers will actually hear from the mouths of children what makes them unhappy. By using actual quotes from kids whom Dr. Condrell has treated, this unusually insightful book bridges the separate worlds of the growing child and parents, so mom and dad can discover the secret pain that children are so good at keeping from them.
Parents are often at a loss as to how they can help a child who looks and acts unhappy most of the time or makes statements such as:
"I wish I was dead."
"I’m going to kill myself."
"I hate myself."
"Nothing ever good happens to me."
This book will make parents aware of the kinds of experiences that cause children to become unhappy. With this knowledge parents can be proactive and protect their sons and daughters from entering a state of unhappiness that places them at risk for becoming depressed and possibly developing into depressed adults.

There are millions of children in this country who spend most of their days feeling more unhappy than happy, and their parents haven't a clue as to why. These children are not depressed, but they are on their way to developing a depressive disorder.

Kenneth N. Condrell, Ph.D. (Buffalo, NY), is a child psychologist and family therapist who has been in private practice for thirty-five years. He is clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the State University of New York at Buffalo and teaches residents in child psychiatry. A popular lecturer, he has appeared on such major television shows as CBS Morning News, Today, Sally Jesse Raphael, and CNN's Take Two. He is also the author of Wimpy Parents: From Toddler to Teen-How Not to Raise a Brat, Be a Great Divorced Dad and How to Raise a Brat.