Family & Relationships

A compassionate guide to raising resilient, authentic, well-rounded children.

The Good Enough Parent is a compendium of life lessons, including how to say 'No', how to look beneath the surface of "bad" behavior to find the root of what is going on, how to encourage a child to be genuinely kind, and how to handle the moodiness of adolescence. 

Rather than striving for perfection, the book argues, the job of any parent is in fact to guide a child gently into the imperfect nature of everything. 

Encouraging, wry, and steeped in years of experience, The Good Enough Parent is an intelligent guide to raising a child who will one day look back on their childhood with just the right mixture of gratitude, humor, and love.

• COMPASSIONATE ADVICE: for raising content toddlers into resourceful teens.
• FOR BUSY PARENTS: includes digestible, accessible lessons in parenting.
• ACTIONABLE TIPS: for balancing parental instinct with the acquisition of new skills.
• EMOTIONAL CURRICULUM: with lessons in curiosity, listening, manners, and adolescence.

Full of colorful original photographs, The Joys and Sorrows of Parenting promises us a gentle way of staying calm around one of the most arduous yet deeply fulfilling jobs in the world. 

This playful adult board book distills 2,000 years of philosophy into 26 consoling mini essays that shed light on trials and pleasures of parenting. 

• A PLAYFUL BOARD BOOK FOR ADULTS illustrated with full color, original photographs throughout. 

• 26 DIGESTIBLE MINI ESSAYS to reassure and entertain the modern parent. 

• PRACTICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL parenting advice that doesn't shy away from the imperfections of family life. 

• THE IDEAL GIFT for parents at all stages of their family journey.

The key ingredients to contented love—quintessential advice on relationships from The School of Life, with an approachable tone

It can sometimes seem a mystery why some couples stay together and thrive – while many more split up or drag on scratchily. While we might think happy love is left to chance, there are some identifiable secrets that underpin good relationships that we can learn and put into practice.

The first title of a new series, The Secrets of Successful Relationships draws upon the expertise of The School of Life therapists to teach us the key ingredients of contented love. Chapters such as “Learning to Love Oneself”, “Knowing What to Overlook”, “Good Listening” and “The Importance of Bad Dates” prompt us to think about how we can achieve success in love. In a tone that’s warm, encouraging and funny, we learn: how to communicate effectively, how to manage differences, what to do when sexual problems arise, how to air grievances, the best way to share a home and – when things grow truly problematic – how to judge whether or not we should stay or leave.

This handbook shows us how to take the necessary, careful, intelligent steps towards the contented love we deserve.

A guided questionnaire to help understand ourselves and our romantic relationships more clearly.

Most questionnaires are happy to be a bit of fun; this one sets out to be both entertaining and, more importantly, useful – offering us nothing less than a guide to the comforting and supportive relationships we long for.

With online apps taking over the dating game, it has never been more crucial to know the rules.

Through a series of pertinent questions, it reveals our distinctive style of loving, what our strengths and weaknesses are with partners and how we might secure genuine fulfillment going forward.

As we work through the questionnaire and its accompanying essays, writing the answers in a notebook, we discover the many reasons why relationships go wrong – and how they might do so far less often in the future. The book considers the role of self-hatred, the influence of childhood, the importance of vulnerability, the appeal of unavailable people and the best way to overcome patterns of self-doubt and unhealthy attachment.

Our minds are such confusing places, even the most thoughtful among us can fail to know central things about how we behave in relationships. This questionnaire will help us to understand ourselves more clearly – and so set us free to discover the love we deserve.

Everyone experiences heartbreak at some point in their life. Advice can be heard to receive with a broken heart, and it tends to focus on letting time do the healing. This consoling and encouraging guide from The School of Life presents a refreshing perspective on heartbreak, arguing that a more nuanced understanding of our pain can help us along the path to healing. 

Through history, psychology, and a little philosophy, Heartbreak teaches us how our responses to abandonment are formed, what the best way to think about an ex might be, and how to envision future relationships when we are in the midst of despair. We come away feeling less alone, consoled that our suffering will have an end, and intrigued by the endless subtleties of relationships. 

• A PRACTICAL GUIDE: to understanding and overcoming heartbreak. 
• PART OF THE SCHOOL OF LIFE'S 'LOVE' SERIES: focusing on the joys and sorrows of relationships. 
• A PHILOSOPHICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH: to life's innumerable heartbreaks. 

Laugh & Reconnect With Those Who Matter Most

The idea of family lies close to the meaning of life, but in practice, families do not always come together, or chat about what matters, or laugh as much or as often as they should.

The Family Game is the solution; this is a game expressly designed to help family gatherings live up to our highest hopes. It consists of a host of questions (chosen randomly with a dice) that kick-start the best sorts of conversations: ones in which we reconnect, say things we always meant to, laugh warmly together – and remember why family counts. The cards cover five categories: Gentle Teasing, Gratitude, Self, Memories, and Regret.

A book to offer clarity and guidance when facing the difficult decision of whether your relationship has a future.

Whether we should stay in or leave a relationship is one of the most consequential and painful decisions we are ever likely to confront.

What makes the issue so hard is that there are no fixed rules for judgement. How can we tell whether a relationship is 'good enough' or plain wrong? How do we draw the line between justified longing and naivety? Does someone 'better' actually exist? Should the feelings of children be counted (and what might they be in the long term)? Could one's partner change, perhaps with therapy, or should one assume that who they are now is who they will always be?

All these questions typically haunt our minds as we weigh up whether to stay or go. With no axe to grind or ideology to promote, Stay or Leave walks us gently through our options, opening our minds to perspectives we might not have considered.

This book aims to take the reader towards a time, presently hard to imagine, when the choice will no longer feel so agonizing. Using its lessons, we can understand ourselves deeply, consider our options, minimize our regrets and find the way ahead.

• REFRESHINGLY PRAGMATIC relationship advice for couples of all kinds.
• ROMANTIC REALISM a common sense way to look at your relationship.
• RELATIONSHIP TOOLKIT for working through your fears and anxieties.
• THERAPIST-RESEARCHED draws from The School of Life’s Therapy department and their experience providing couples therapy.

The School of Life’s guide to the rest of a life together

Our society devotes huge attention to the start of a marriage – and the wedding ceremony —but the real challenge lies beyond the wedding, with the long years ahead, and here we are often left alone.

This box is The School of Life’s guide to the rest of a life together, containing twenty beautiful cards which lay out the central ideas on how to make a relationship work over the decades beyond the wedding day. It is filled with artful suggestions on coping with what even the most loving couple will face as they build a life together. This set of cards is both a celebration of marriage and a rich source of insights into the skills it demands.

"A moving look at the ties that bind."— Publisher's Weekly

An intimate look at the complexities of family life told through evocative photography and authentic interviews.

Families are a mystery. Is everyone’s as complicated as ours? Is there such a thing as a "normal" one? We generally only get to see the polished exteriors and are left to imagine what might be going on behind closed doors. Here is a book that takes us on a tour around the reality of families. It provides a rare, privileged glimpse into private realms, allowing us a new, profound understanding of ourselves and others. 

Comprised of 60 interviews and portraits captured by five supremely talented photographers – Mark Hobbs, Kate Peters, Marjolaine Ryley, Michelle Sank and Naomi Williams – the book introduces us to an extraordinary array of participants: new parents, stepchildren, siblings, the wealthy and the marginalized, the old and the young.

In this book, photographs intertwine with the the subject's story, reminding us of Humans of New York - a photographic project by Brandon Stanton which portraits daily glimpses into the lives of strangers on the streets of New York City.

What surfaces is the astounding diversity of family life – and the number of commonalities too. Above all, we recognize the fundamental role that family plays in making us who we are.This is a book for anyone who has ever wondered about their family or fantasized about being part of someone else’s – in short, this is a book for us all.

A bold rethinking of the wedding ceremony - and what comes before and after - designed to prepare us for modern marriage.

Many couples today feel uncomfortable with the rituals traditionally associated with getting married. The old ceremonies can feel too overtly religious and out of step with the complexities of contemporary relationships. In response to this dilemma, The School of Life has rethought the ideal wedding day and redesigned the entire process from scratch.

The book begins by proposing new methods of psychological preparation, providing practical advice on how to prepare not only for the day of the wedding, but for the long marriage that follows. Also included is a practical and thoughtfully redesigned wedding ceremony, covering everything from picking a venue to writing vows and selecting readings.

With their trademark wisdom and warmth, The School of Life presents a bold rethinking of one of humankind's most important and popular rituals.

• AN OUTLINE FOR A NEW KIND OF WEDDING CEREMONY: based on psychological theory rather than religious traditions.
  
• INCLUDES PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION: for marriage preparation, as well as advice for married life.
• GENDER INCLUSIVE: and non-heteronormative.
• PART OF THE NEW PAPERBACK SERIES 'LESSONS FOR LIFE'

• PRACTICAL ADVICE ON AFFAIRS: and on dealing with the aftermath of an affair.
• WHY DO AFFAIRS HAPPEN?: historical and psychological framework to help us understand affairs-both the lead up, and the aftermath.
• A FRESH TAKE ON INFIDELITY: and how it impacts our lives.
• PART OF THE SCHOOL OF LIFE'S LOVE SERIES: focusing on the joys and sorrows of relationships.

A book to offer clarity and guidance when facing the difficult decision of whether your relationship has a future

Should you stay or leave?

Whether we should stay in or leave a relationship is one of the most consequential and painful decisions we are ever likely to confront.

What makes the issue so hard is that there are no fixed rules for judgment. How can we tell whether a relationship is “good enough” or just not the right fit? How do we draw the line between longing and naivety? Is sex vital or can a relationship survive without it? Does someone “better” actually exist? How much should the feelings of children be considered (and what might they be in the long term)? Could one’s partner change, perhaps with therapy, or should one assume that who they are now is who they will always be?

All these questions typically haunt us as we weigh whether to stay or go. With no ax to grind, or ideology to promote, this book takes the reader (gently) through their options and opens their mind to perspectives they might not have considered. The goal is to help clarify what the reader wants—truly wants—deep down, so that the answer that emerges will be properly attuned to their unique circumstances and often very private aspirations. Here is a tool that carries the promise of the future we deserve.

This book aims to take the reader towards a time, perhaps presently hard to imagine, when the choice of whether to stay or go will no longer feel so agonizing. This book helps us understand ourselves deeply, helps us consider our options, minimize our regrets—and find the way ahead.

Since around 1750, we have been living in the era of Romanticism, which has shaped the way we approach love, marriage, and sex. When it comes to love, this book argues, Romanticism has been a disaster. Full of real-life examples, lively humor, and cultural anecdotes, Relationships teaches us: 

• That love and sex may not always go together (and that’s OK)
• That discussing money early on, in a serious way, is not a betrayal of love That acknowledging respective flaws can be a couple’s superpower
• That we will never find everything we need in another person
• That spending two hours discussing whether bathroom towels should be hung up or can be left on the floor has its own dignity

With wisdom, wit, and compassion, this innovative guide paves the way to a new, brighter future for love. Part of a new essential paperback series from The School of Life, covering a range of emotional lessons needed in order to lead fulfilled and happy lives.

• DOWN WITH ROMANTICISM! this book teaches you how to find love, and keep it—without rosy-colored glasses. 
• LEARN THE SKILL OF LOVE—AND LIVING WITH YOUR PARTNER’S FLAWS a refreshing, skills-based take on how to approach relationships, and be realistic about long term partnership. 
• PRACTICAL RELATIONSHIP ADVICE like why to talk about money early on, and how to find dignity in the dreary domestic details of life.
• CLASSIC BLACK & WHITE IMAGES throughout.
• PART OF THE NEW PAPERBACK SERIES 'LESSONS FOR LIFE'

The Confessions Card Game - A simple game of cards and dice opening up daring conversations

From adolescence onwards, one of the great struggles we face is how to reconcile our own desires with those we find socially acceptable. 

The best encounters with friends are those where we can talk honestly about what's going on in our lives, sharing triumphs, joys, fears and longings - without the usual shyness or reserve. This confessions game—meant to be played with friends—guarantees that the warmest, most fascinating conversations won’t have to be left to chance. With the help of a dice and some cards, the game asks participants to answer a series of questions around career, sex, money, relationships, family, gently inviting everyone to share important bits of themselves in an intimate and playful atmosphere. 

By thinking of confessions as a game – as a sociable and exploratory activity, as opposed to a risky affair – the cards prompt us to open ourselves up to interesting and exhilarating conversations, allowing us to be a little more honest around the most intimate aspects of ourselves.

A pack of 52 cards to help us understand what truly matters through deep and entertaining conversation

What do you wish you had realized earlier?
What do you secretly enjoy?
What would the child you think about the adult you?

We sometimes playfully wonder what the meaning of life might be - but it can be hard to kick start a conversation with ourselves (let alone with anyone else) around such a daunting subject. 

Here are 52 cards that directly and elegantly lead us to some of the largest questions about life and its meaning – cards that help us and our companions to think with exceptional depth about what truly matters, where we see ourselves heading and what gives life its purpose. This is a tool for direction, clarity – and some of the deepest yet most fun and entertaining conversations we’ll ever have.

The School of Life’s approach to love - in a pocket format 

In the first of a series of pocket books, The School of Life has distilled its most essential ideas on love in order to produce a bitesize manual that is both useful and entertaining. 

We learn – among other things – how to pick partners more reliably, how to avoid conflict and how to know whether a relationship is really for us. By exploring key themes within the topic of relationships, such as Anxious Attachment, Attachment theory, Long-term love, Romantic disappointment, Secrets in love and Crushes, this book shows us how satisfied love life is not a chance event but something that we can all plot for and achieve. 

Love is a skill, not an emotion; this is a guide to how we might master it.

Pair with the Connect Cards and The Compatibility Game, to help foster connection and closeness.

On Divorce: An illustrated guide to the challenges and joys of separation is the debut title in a new portrait photography series by The School of Life.

Photographer Harry Borden’s portraits of divorce offer a powerful and often unexplored emotional window into the hearts and private moments of this common modern journey.

The photographs and accompanying texts were captured and recorded over two years by the British photographer Harry Borden (himself divorced). This series of portraits aims to understand and normalize something a lot of us go through, with testimonies from the subjects themselves, and thoughts and observations that pull us toward compassion, identification, curiosity, self-reflection and empathy. 

The book also features an introduction by The School of Life. 

• A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION: within romantic relationships.
• THE 20 MOST COMMON ARGUMENTS: and how to use them as a catalyst for growth.
• PART OF THE SCHOOL OF LIFE'S LOVE SERIES: focusing on the joys and sorrows of relationships.

This little book teaches us about the history of dating, the best way to discuss our past on our date, what questions to ask a new partner, and how to learn from a bad date. Both heartfelt and perceptive, it provides us with an indispensable road map to the varied, sometimes delightful, sometimes daunting realties of dating. 

Dating might seem like a trivial and relatively inconsequential part of love, but it is in fact the key to finding a lasting relationship. Dating allows us to explore some of the biggest themes of romantic love; how to know if someone is right for us; how soon to settle and how long to search; how to be at once honest and seductive; how to say "no" if a situation doesn't feel right. The tone and practical advice in this little book never minimizes the agony, joys, and confusions of our dating days and nights but offers solace to the weary: there is a partner out there for all who seek. 

• A PRACTICAL GUIDE: to dating in the modern world. 
• PART OF THE SCHOOL OF LIFE'S 'LOVE' SERIES: focusing on the joys and sorrows of relationships. 
• ADVICE AND GUIDANCE: on how to make the most of our dating years. 
• AN INDISPENSABLE ROAD MAP: to the highs and lows of dating.