In The Optimistic Child, Dr. Martin Seligman offers parents, teachers, and coaches a well-validated program to prevent depression in children. In a thirty-year study, Seligman and his colleagues discovered the link between pessimism - dwelling on the most catastrophic cause of any setback - and depression. Seligman shows adults how to teach children the skills of optimism that can help them combat depression, achieve more on the playing field and at school, and improve their physical health. The Optimistic Child offers parents and teachers the tools developed by the author to teach children of all ages life skills that transform helplessness into mastery and bolster self-esteem.