Good Kids - by Maggie Nick (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"An old soul" ... "a delight to have in class" ... "so mature for your age"

If you grew up as a Good Kid, you probably heard these words a lot. And you were good. Quiet. Easy. Responsible. So disciplined, you basically raised yourself. You're the one everyone counts on -- and you wear it like a good star.

But nobody ever checks on you. And you're exhausted from proving your goodness by being an overachieving, people pleasing, perfectionist, pushover, and shape-shifting chameleon.

Good Kids is about the invisible trauma and cost of always being "good" -- a lifetime of bottling your emotions, performing calm while constantly scanning everyone around you for the slightest sign of upset or disappointment and the crushing fear of being "a burden." Oh, and always worrying that you're in trouble.

Maggie Nick was a Good Kid too -- the one who "never caused trouble" and always made sure everyone else was okay (even when she wasn't). Now a trauma therapist, parenting expert, and cycle breaking mom, she's here to help you heal from the fallout of being easy to raise and show you how to support the good kids in your life through those same messy, human moments you weren't allowed to have.

This book answers the questions you've been asking yourself for years, like:
Why do I feel crushing guilt when I say no?
Why do I replay conversations for days, convinced I did something wrong?
Why do I feel like I'm "too much" and "not enough"?

With raw honesty, deep compassion and grounded research, Good Kids gives you the clarity and validation you've been searching for your whole life and the handbook for how to heal and break the good kid cycle for your children.

Review Quotes

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

I'm so glad I read this book. It made me feel so seen and understood and it was so nice to not feel alone in this.

I cried a lot while reading through this book and it did bring up a lot of tough memories. It was a tough read, but so, so worth it.

I would recommend this book to everyone who was a "Good Kid", but especially to those that are now parents/ planning to become parents.

It's one of those books that you won't just read once, but that you'll refer back to over and over again throughout your journey.--Antonia Delawie, NetGalley

As a reformed good kid and parent, Good Kids is THE exclusive guide you need for how to break perfectionism cycles. As a therapist, I cannot wait to share this with clients.--Amanda White, LPC, Therapist, Author of Not Drinking Tonight, Founder, Therapy For Women

As a therapist and mother, I know how many of us learned to survive childhood by quieting our needs, managing other people's emotions, and performing for love. Maggie Nick writes with such honesty and compassion that you can't help but feel both seen and understood. This book transforms the pain of the 'good kid' narrative into a path of healing, reminding us that authenticity is reclaimable and cycle breaking is within reach.--Bryana Kappadakunnel, LMFT, Therapist, Author of Parent Yourself First and Founder of Conscious Mommy

Good Kids is a deeply profound, paradigm-shifting love letter to anyone who grew up believing they had to earn love by being "good." With warm compassion, clinical wisdom, and tender vulnerability, Maggie Nick guides us back to the truth all "Good Kids" needed to know: that we have always been inherently lovable and worthy. This book is a compassionate guide for the cycle-breakers who are ready to heal the shame we've carried for too long so we can raise children who know deep in their bones that they are seen, safe, and unconditionally loved. If you're reparenting yourself while raising your kids, Good Kids is an absolute must-read.--Shelly Robinson, Founder, Raising Yourself

Maggie Nick's Good Kids is an invaluable guide for anyone learning to parent in the aftermath of trauma. With honesty and compassion, Maggie illuminates the struggle of raising children without having been given a healthy blueprint yourself. This book not only offers practical guidance for nurturing children toward authenticity and fulfilment, but also shows us how parenting can become a pathway back to our own healing. Good Kids is both a roadmap for reparenting ourselves and a gentle companion for raising the next generation with more love, presence, and wholeness.--Katie McKenna, accredited psychotherapist and co-author of the international bestseller You're Not The Problem

This one hit deep. It peeled back the "good kid" mask I wore so many years and made me feel seen. The tone is gentle but firm, and the insights stuck with me long after reading.--Sylvan Banes, NetGalley

THIS is the kind of book that I wish people had recommended to me before I became a Mom! Maggie Nick balances clinical expertise and personal experience in an approachable way that makes the healing work involved in parenting feel doable, no matter where you are in your journey. Whether you are already a parent or planning on becoming one, I cannot recommend this book enough. To put it simply, it makes SO much about reparenting yourself while parenting your own children "make sense" and it makes you feel less alone in the process. I will be a better parent as a result of what I have learned in Good Kids and I am forever grateful.--Logan Cooper, LMHC, Licensed Therapist

About the Author

Maggie Nick is a Recovering Good Kid turned trauma therapist, parenting expert and cycle-breaking mom who has spent her life recovering from being the child "nobody ever needed to worry about." Through her rebellious online community, Camp Lovable, she helps Recovering Good Kids finally feel safe to stop feeling guilty, worrying about what other people think and just be themselves.

Maggie received her Masters in Social Work from Indiana University and her Bachelors in Sociology with a double major in Psychology from Virginia Tech. She lives near the beach in Florida with her husband, two kids and beloved dogs.