# Eight Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success: What to Do and What to Say to Turn Failures Into Character-Building Moments - Hardcover

by **Michelle Icard** (Author)

**Turn common adolescent missteps, from relationship blunders to rebellions that backfire, into character-building moments--by the author of _Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen._**

**"This clear-eyed, practical, fun-to-read guide is an essential read for every parent."--Lisa Damour, PhD, _New York Times_ bestselling author of _Untangled_, _Under Pressure_, and _The Emotional Lives of Teenagers_**

Every child messes up, sometimes in ways that seem sure to wreck their futures: a bad report card, poor sportsmanship, underaged drinking. These are tough moments for parent and child alike, often complicated by the fear that the misstep is also an indictment of our parenting. But what each of these "fails" has in common for our kids is the precious silver lining of a chance for character building and developing more grit--if we help them process their mistake well.

An invaluable playbook for anxious parents everywhere, _Eight Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success_ offers specific and unexpected advice about what to say, what not to say, and what to do to help children in eight categories of tense situations. Distilled from Michelle Icard's decades of experience working with tweens, teenagers, and families, it also introduces her signature three-step approach to any kind of failure:

\- **Contain:** Affirm your child, gather the facts, and control the narrative.  
\- **Resolve:** Explain what went wrong, define clear consequences, teach them to apologize well, and develop a plan to rebuild trust.  
\- **Evolve:** Reaffirm and re-expand their rights, and establish rewards for good behaviors.

With empathy, insight, and optimism, Michelle Icard's advice ensures that a child's mistake or rebellion doesn't become the headline of their childhood, but instead becomes a launch pad to a better future.

### Author Biography

**Michelle Icard** has written for the _Today_ show parenting team, _NBC News Learn_, _CNN Science and Wellness_, and the _Washington Post_. The author of _Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen_ and _Middle School Makeover,_ she has been featured in the _Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Redbook, Time_, and _People_. Her leadership curriculum for middle schoolers, Athena's Path and Hero's Pursuit, have been implemented at schools and summer camps across the United States. Michelle has two young adult children who mostly live elsewhere these days, which leaves lots of time for practicing yoga, walking her dogs, binging shows, and puzzling (crossword and jigsaw) with her husband in Charlotte, North Carolina.

**Number of Pages:** 288

**Dimensions:** 1.2 x 9.3 x 6.3 IN

**Publication Date:** August 22, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 27.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 27.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Eight Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success: What to Do and What to Say to Turn Failures Into Character-Building Moments - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/eight-setbacks-that-can-make-a-child-a-success-what-to-do-and-what-to-say-to-turn-failures-into-character-building-moments-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-21