Overwhelmed and overworked—and caring for kids who feel the same?
We weren′t made to live like this: It′s time to start "rehumaning" our lives.
Right now, kids and adults are trying to thrive amid the daily grind, addictive technology, crowded calendars, and rising uncertainty. It′s an impossible task—and it′s taking a toll.
Bestselling author Stephanie Malia Krauss offers a lifeline. With her signature blend of relatable storytelling and deeply researched insights, How We Thrive explores 14 timeless human essentials of body, mind, heart, and spirit that safeguard health and humanity—things like play, wonder, belonging, and creativity that have sustained humans for millennia. Inside, you′ll find
- Wisdom from 100+ leading experts in health, neuroscience, psychology, and human development
- Inspiring success stories from schools, summer camps, and community programs
- Science-backed strategies to counter overwhelm and support well-being at every stage of life
- Rehumaning practices that work wherever you are, in as little as one minute
- Beautiful illustrations and sketchnotes that make complex ideas memorable and meaningful
- Reflection prompts and real-life examples that inspire and motivate change
How We Thrive reveals time-honored truths about what matters most—and shows how reclaiming the innate essentials changes everything. When the frenzied pace of modern life threatens to deplete you and the kids in your life, this book equips you to fight back and reclaim who you were born to be.
Table of Contents:
List of Tables, Figures, and Sketchnotes
Foreword
Introduction
Part 1: Prepare for Rough Weather
Chapter 1: Dangerous Weather of Modern Life
Chapter 2: Find Safe Harbors
Part 2: Protect Our Human Essentials
Section I: Body
Chapter 3: Eat
Chapter 4: Sleep
Chapter 5: Move
Chapter 6: Regulate
Section II: Mind
Chapter 7: Play
Chapter 8: Wonder
Chapter 9: Flow
Chapter 10: Create
Section III: Heart
Chapter 11: Connect
Chapter 12: Love
Chapter 13: Belong
Section IV: Spirit
Chapter 14: Celebrate
Chapter 15: Contribute
Chapter 16: Believe
Part 3: Rehuman Our Lives
Conclusion
Sketchnote Map of How We Thrive
Acknowledgments
Endnotes
About the Author
About the Illustrator
Glossary
Index
About the Author :
Stephanie Malia Krauss is an educator, social worker, and sought-after speaker who has dedicated her career to helping young people thrive now and in the future. As the founder of First Quarter Strategies, she collaborates with national organizations, philanthropies, universities, and government agencies to develop strategies that support children and their families.
Krauss is the author of the bestselling book, Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive and Making It: What Today′s Kids Need for Tomorrow′s World. Her work has been featured on NPR, PBS NewsHour, and US News. She holds graduate degrees in education and social work and various national leadership roles. You can find Stephanie at www.stephaniemaliakrauss.com.
Review :
"At a time of rapid change, social isolation, uncertainty, and overwhelm, Stephanie Malia Krauss has waded deep into the waters of what ails us as humans and offers a rich, deeply researched and hopeful guide to "rehuman" our lives, families, schools, workplaces, and communities. Filled with practical resources and actionable strategies, How We Thrive is an essential book. It belongs on desks and nightstands everywhere."
"How We Thrive is a must-read, must-do, and must-share for parents and professionals who care for children. Based on personal experience and professional wisdom, this book is full of nuggets from the author and many family health experts. This riveting read will help us and children, our most precious asset, to thrive. I highly recommend this essential guidebook."
"Understanding how and why kids feel their big feelings helps us understand why they act with their big actions. Caregivers and educators who understand the "why" are better able to raise and teach kids who thrive in the face of challenges while also finding new ways to care for themselves. Stephanie Malia Krauss has provided an essential guide that links the how and the why in a useful and comprehensive way, so we and our kids are better able to navigate life and adapt to challenges and change."
"In How We Thrive, Stephanie Malia Krauss invites us to reimagine what it means to be fully human. With clarity and heart, she challenges us to reclaim the essentials of our lives—those basic human needs so often overlooked in our homes, schools, and workplaces. This is more than a guide to thriving—it is a call to rehumanize our world, to meet life’s storms with courage, and to tap into the enduring power that has allowed humanity to endure and rise above for generations. What starts as a book about thriving becomes a manifesto for embracing our full humanity."
"In a world that feels like it’s moving too fast for all of us, How We Thrive offers calm, actionable wisdom. Stephanie Malia Krauss shows how everyday choices—more rest, more play, more connection, more flow—can help kids (and us) feel grounded and grow stronger. This is an essential science-based book for adults who want to support kids and each other in these complicated times."
"How We Thrive is exactly the book we need right now—a gentle, grounding guide for parents and others caring for kids who are trying to stay steady in an unsteady world. With her trademark calm and clarity, Stephanie Malia Krauss offers a roadmap for tending to ourselves so we can meaningfully show up for our kids. It’s a deeply human, holistic reminder that we matter, too."
"In How We Thrive, readers will find a wealth of resources to support them when they feel overtapped, overworked, overstimulated, and overwrought. Stephanie Malia Krauss draws on her Hawaiian heritage to guide readers into a more humane life while backing her suggestions with research. The author includes practices that help a family opt out of the relentless pressures created by modern technology. Instead, she asks readers to establish values that prioritize being in tune with our bodies, forming in-person relationships, and caring for one another in our communities. The writing is generous and actionable."
"In this beautifully illustrated volume, Stephanie Malia Krauss blends cutting-edge research with holistic wisdom to show how kids and the adults who care for them can thrive in a complex world—even with its rough and unpredictable conditions. Grounded in neuroscience and practical insights, the book shares strategies for calming overwhelm, building connections, and fostering purpose. Through her focus on collective care, Stephanie Malia Krauss reminds us that when caregivers are supported, kids flourish too."
"How We Thrive is a modern user′s manual for ourselves as caregivers. The author offers us comprehensive insights into caring and keeping ourselves healthy in a challenging world with great compassion and a realization of how hard it is to be human. We need this highly readable reference manual of the heart, mind, and spirit for everyone who works with kids. I highly recommend How We Thrive!"
"How We Thrive skips the empty platitudes so many parents and professionals are given, as if a catch phrase can help us right now. Instead, this is parenting advice rooted in science and experience so that we and our kids can actually navigate and thrive amid the plethora of issues that did not exist in the past."
"Stephanie Malia Krauss′s new book, How We Thrive, offers a compelling whole child framework for supporting body, mind, heart, and spirit. It’s a timely contribution, especially in the Age of AI, and offers a vision for "rehumaning" our lives by protecting and prioritizing the human essentials. In a world defined by constant change and disruption, Krauss moves beyond the traditional focus on resilience to explore what it truly means to thrive. This book provides a deeply human and practical guide for parents, educators, and mentors, showing them how to care for the young people in their lives—and themselves—by fostering skills like adaptability, agency, and a sense of purpose. It′s an essential read for anyone committed to building a brighter future for the next generation."
"Our students, parents, and communities know that afterschool and summer programs are a necessity because they keep kids safe, support working parents, and inspire learning. Stephanie Malia Krauss provides evidence that demonstrates why holistic programs are so effective. The play, creativity, connection, and purpose we build into quality programs are backed by decades of research. How We Thrive gives every adult working with young people a powerful framework for creating the conditions where kids thrive now and into the future. It also arms advocates with research to make the case for more of our children to have access to these essential programs."
"For those of us devoted to the camp movement, this book feels like coming home. Stephanie Malia Krauss reminds us that play, rest, connection, creativity, contribution, and belonging are not luxuries. They are the conditions under which children—and adults—grow strong, joyful, and resilient. I encourage every educator, parent, and youth-development professional to read this book and draw from the simple, powerful truths it contains to help our children thrive."
"How We Thrive is a guidebook for weathering the storms of modern life, reminding us that when we care for ourselves, we teach children how to flourish."
"How We Thrive is such an important book right now—it’s a reminder to get off your phone, get out there, notice, play, and have fun. You can start wherever it draws you in and makes you want to try something—by yourself, with your family, or with friends! But most of all, the message is clear— to thrive you must continue to look in new directions."
