A book for parents raising good humans

Good Humans, Grown

A parenting field guide grounded in stories, research, and lived experience.

Get the book, preorder now!Free chapter resources

Launching mid-October 2026.

Early Praise

“Part practical guide, part family memoir, Catina Hancock has crafted something that's a pleasure to read, with stories that keep you hungry for what comes next, principles that are easy to bank in your memory, and perspectives that will push you to wrestle through squaring her ideas with your own views. Above all, she conveys something much needed in our world: a reverence for the noble work of raising the next generation of good humans.”

Thomas Arnett

Senior Research Fellow, Clayton Christensen Institute

“This is more than a parenting book. It is an investment in the next generation.”

Marlon Styles

Educator & Former Superintendent

“I especially appreciated the emphasis on teaching self-sufficiency from the beginning and staying involved without controlling.”

Corey Espeleta

School Counselor, San Diego, CA

“This might be a parenting book, but it also supports developing a person, whether they're seven or twenty-seven and on your payroll.”

Troy Guard

Founder/CEO, TAG Restaurant Group

“Our job isn't to make childhood free from struggle, but to raise capable, caring humans who know how to navigate the world.”

Katie Martin, Ph.D.

Co-CEO, Learner-Centered Collaborative & Author

“She leads with the principle, walks you through the real situation that shaped it, then backs it up with research you can actually put into practice.”

Lori Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Professor & Former Superintendent

“Practical principles that challenge us to think beyond the years we are raising our children and toward the adults we are helping them become.”

Nicole Zapoli

Coach & Author

“A refreshing take on parenting, told from an honest, vulnerable and highly unique perspective.”

Emmett “Tray” Thomason, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

“I'll still call Catina for advice, but I'm grateful to have her wisdom on my bookshelf, too.”

Joanna Libby

Friend & Colleague, Learner-Centered Collaborative

“A breath of fresh air for parents (and grandparents). Approachable, and it pushes you without being judgmental or overwhelming.”

Bryanna Hanson

Director of Learning Design, Learner-Centered Collaborative

“This is more than a parenting book. It is an investment in the next generation.”

Marlon Styles

Educator & Former Superintendent

“I especially appreciated the emphasis on teaching self-sufficiency from the beginning and staying involved without controlling.”

Corey Espeleta

School Counselor, San Diego, CA

“This might be a parenting book, but it also supports developing a person, whether they're seven or twenty-seven and on your payroll.”

Troy Guard

Founder/CEO, TAG Restaurant Group

“Our job isn't to make childhood free from struggle, but to raise capable, caring humans who know how to navigate the world.”

Katie Martin, Ph.D.

Co-CEO, Learner-Centered Collaborative & Author

“She leads with the principle, walks you through the real situation that shaped it, then backs it up with research you can actually put into practice.”

Lori Gonzalez, Ph.D.

Professor & Former Superintendent

“Practical principles that challenge us to think beyond the years we are raising our children and toward the adults we are helping them become.”

Nicole Zapoli

Coach & Author

“A refreshing take on parenting, told from an honest, vulnerable and highly unique perspective.”

Emmett “Tray” Thomason, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

“I'll still call Catina for advice, but I'm grateful to have her wisdom on my bookshelf, too.”

Joanna Libby

Friend & Colleague, Learner-Centered Collaborative

“A breath of fresh air for parents (and grandparents). Approachable, and it pushes you without being judgmental or overwhelming.”

Bryanna Hanson

Director of Learning Design, Learner-Centered Collaborative

Read the full endorsements →

Cover of the book Good humans, grown by Catina Hancock

About the book

Thirty years in classrooms and schools, distilled into a field guide you can keep on the kitchen counter.

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Drawing on three decades in public education, as a teacher, a principal, and now an education, nonprofit partner; and twenty-five years of parenting, Catina shares her family's real, imperfect journey. Good Humans, Grown lays out ten field-tested principles for raising children who grew into genuinely capable, connected adults; then puts that claim to the test by bringing in the two people best qualified to grade it: the kids themselves, now grown, reflecting candidly on what worked, what they resented at the time, and what they carried into adulthood anyway.

Free for every chapter

Free downloadable tools with every one of the ten chapters.

Chapter 1Start with structure and boundaries earlyA chapter reflection plus practical extras to put the principle to work.View resources →Chapter 2Prioritize connection and affectionA chapter reflection plus practical extras to put the principle to work.View resources →View all 10 chaptersBrowse the resource library →

Catina Hancock

A partner at Learner-Centered Collaborative and a longtime educator based in San Marcos, CA, Catina has spent her career helping kids and the adults who raise them do their best work together.