Filling The Gap Between Raffi And Rap -- "Happy Kids Songs" Tackle Today's Challenges

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- When it comes to music today, young children have more sophisticated taste and are drawn to commercialized popular young adult music. Gone are the days of Raffi and The Wiggles. Kids are now tuning into One Direction, Beyonce and Miley Cyrus. While catchy, these tunes for teens are lyrically inappropriate for kids.

Enter Dr. Don MacMannis (Dr. Mac), noted child psychologist, songwriter and music director for the PBS hit, "Jay Jay the Jet Plane." Newly released, Happy Kids Songs are both highly-entertaining and educational, with themes that tap into the most common issues confronting kids: handling feelings, fears, stress, bullying, teasing, learning manners, celebrating diversity, making friends, taking responsibility, resolving conflicts, and much more!

Listen to the latest hit, "In the Same Boat," by clicking http://happykidssongs.com/kids-parents-activities/. This song is also offered free at the website.

Happy Kids Songs include 8 award-winning full production albums (40 songs total), custom-tailored to kids 4-8 years old. Dr. Mac also created the Happy Kids Songs Workbook, full of activities, coloring pages and song lyrics, providing practical tools for children to learn on their own, as well as lessons parents and teachers can apply.

Through hundreds of fun, insightful appearances and interviews, Dr. Mac has catalyzed discussions and a fresh focus on:

• How parents and teachers use these songs and activities to help children confront a variety of today's challenges
• Why music has been shown to be an effective, almost magical medium for learning and remembering new information
• How programs that teach kids social and emotional skills simultaneously improve academic scores
• The latest applications of brain research to parenting

No child can be happy all of the time, but all children can become happier with improved character, social and emotional skills.

Don MacMannis, Ph.D. (Dr. Mac) is Clinical Director of the Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara. He has a B.A. from Dartmouth, a Masters in child psychology from University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from California School of Professional Psychology. He is co-author, with his wife, Debra, of How's Your Family Really Doing? 10 Keys to a Happy, Loving Family.

Websites:

Happy Kids Songs: www.HappyKidsSongs.com 
How's Your Family Really Doing?: www.HowsYourFamily.com 
Twitter: @howsyourfam
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happykidssongs
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/HappyKidsSongs

Purchasing info: Happy Kids Songs and Happy Kids Songs Workbook 

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS 
Contact: Dr. Mac
805-969-6041
[email protected]

SOURCE Dr. Don MacMannis (Dr. Mac)