Unlocking Potential: A Guide to Helping Every Child Thrive in Their Own Way

Mrs C: This book has a lot of 'penny dropping' moments. If you have/know or work with children then this is for you!

United Kingdom on Sep 08, 2023

HbiLb: These is such an eye opener book for every parent. It is full of evidence based arguments which are quiet relevant. Also, the author’s own life experience makes the book even more relatable and meaningful. I highly recommend it to all parents.

United Kingdom on Feb 13, 2022

caitlin.s: Great book. Highly recommend for anyone interested in child adversity research. Though I am familiar with a lot of the research in this area, Dr. Boyce gives me new insights and perspectives.

Germany on Nov 09, 2019

Tech Master Earl: I couldn't understand why there were certain things about myself that I simply could not control for better or for worse. I would "overreact" reliably and this caused me great stress. It's when I learned it was a part of me and not a part of my psychology that I was liberated from the guilt of my inability to mimic my peers.

The author wrote the book with passion and takes the reader on a journey without losing sight of the final destination. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a highly sensitive person or to anyone who is very close to a highly sensitive person. It will help to bridge all those invisible gaps.

United States on Jul 24, 2019

Nicola Strudley: Over the years people often wonder how two siblings brought up in the same environment with the same parents can turn out so different. Why can some people have awful adverse life events happen in their childhoods but manage to survive them and go on to thrive, yet others struggle to cope. Why do some children struggle yet others succeed? Why are some people’s lives filled with misfortune and others with happiness? Is it genes, chance or luck?

I have two daughters, one is mostly carefree and easy going (the dandelion), the other can be described as spirited, sensitive, dramatic and creative (the orchid).

This book helps us to understand how different children develop and grow. Many parents and teachers strive to be egalitarian in treating children exactly the same, not to show favour to one over another. Yet despite our adherence to this principle of equity, siblings and children are remarkably different. Different children need different types of attention. It is not about dividing children into black and white categories of “vulnerable” and “resilient” but looking at a continuum of individual variation - A spectrum of sensitivities to the world, along...

United Kingdom on Apr 10, 2019

LB: At once academic, scientific and very personal, this book was hard to put down, particularly in the second half. As the parent of a child who responds thoroughly & dramatically to everything, I found this research helpful and hopeful. I am encouraged to be more patient and present to my child. Recommended read for all doctors, therapists, teachers and parents of highly sensitive children. With thanks to the author for doing the research and presenting it to the general public.

United Kingdom on Apr 08, 2019

victoria oyama: I was fascinated to read this book as I live with my two granddaughters and I want to help them get the best out of life. One is a typical dandelion while the other is a typical orchid. Her actual name is 'Orchid' although it is the Japanese word for orchid as she is Japanese. I had already realized that she is a Highly Sensitive Person and what I read in Dr Boyce's book confirmed it. Reading this book, I felt a bit depressed when I considered her journey being buffeted by the rough waves of life. In that respect this book was not such a feel-good book reassuring me that everything will be all right. It was more of a cold hard look at everything and impressed upon me the need to give all children lots of love and care to foster their self-confidence and help them make it through school, etc. But on the whole, I give Dr Boyce's book a high rating and I am very glad I read it. I got a lot out of it.

United States on Apr 01, 2019

DocE: I am an Orchid child who grew up under adverse, stressful circumstances. My youth was characterized by extreme shyness, impulsiveness, severe nail biting, seemingly perpetual knee bouncing, anxiety and many fears. I survived and have mostly conquered this background, through strong academics, athletics and music. This book gave me great insight into my own development. I have, without reservation recommended it to my family and friends, some of them Orchid like and some Dandelions. I think it is mandatory reading for anyone who is thinking about or raising a child, if only to teach them to recognize the sensitivities of their children, and to try some of the suggestions Tom makes to structure your family life around your Orchids. It might help the dandelions understand why the lives of family members, and friends may have failed.

Gratefully,
Richard Eastman M.D.
Former Director, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases
National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive Diseases (NIDDK)
National Institutes of Health.

United States on Mar 10, 2019

David Anderson MD FACC: I read this remarkable book as a physician, as a parent of adopted children and as a Christian deeply interested in the human condition. At all levels I was enriched. Dr Boyce not only brings clarity as he explains a whole new area of understanding in the biology and psychology of human development, he also gives us an enthralling exciting view of the scientific method at work and those who dedicate their lives to its pursuit. As there is no one who does not have an interest in the children around them or the child they were, there is no none who would not find this book edifying

United States on Feb 20, 2019

gail f hatch: Dr. Boyce invites us to journey with him through 30 plus years of enlightening research into early childhood development as it relates to epidemiology, stress, environment and emotional health. Unpacking the complexities of how children fare through trauma, challenges, environment and family of origin issues, W. Thomas Boyce leads the reader through a series of narratives both professional and personal along with fascinating research he and teams of pediatric researchers uncover about young children. Surprisingly the results were not entirely what as they had expected. From biological, mental, social, psychological and environmental findings collected from hundreds of children, two categories of children began to emerge making sense of their collected data : the orchid more sensitive child and the hardy dandelion child. To that end, much wisdom unfolds for all of us as to what differentiates the orchid child from the dandelion child regardless of his or her demographic and other variables. Most importantly Dr. Boyce along with his colleagues and research teams observed over and over again how a nurturing environment impacts the development for the "orchid-esque" child in terms of...

United States on Feb 07, 2019