Books you should read!: “The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive.”

Parents frequently ask me for books they could read to help them in supporting their child or their relationship with their child. One of the books that I suggest most frequently is Daniel Siegel’s: “The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind, Survive Everyday Parenting Struggles, and Help Your Family Thrive.”

If you are having frequent moments where your child’s behaviour baffles or infuriates you then this book might have something to offer to you. Understanding how children's brains function in moments of calm and stress can dramatically enrich the parenting experiences. This book is one of the few books available that insightfully integrates the growing body of research on children’s developing brains with practical parenting strategies.

The over arching premise of this book is that parent’s can influence and better understand their children’s actions through understanding their brains. From minor annoyances to major freak outs- the better we understand the systems responsible for them the better we can help kids whilst in them and help them too get to those uncomfortable places less often.

At the core of anything we do to support children is the relationship between the caregiver and the child. This simple truth underlies all of the strategies described and shared by Siegel.

Siegel takes a complex topic and explains it in an engaging and insightful manner. As someone who has read most of the heavy hitters in the parenting and child development cannon, this book is an easy pick as one of my favorites given it’s practicality, accessibility and valuable information.

It is available at most major book sellers and has e-reader versions as well as audiobook. There is also a parent skills workbook available based on the book that is also widely available and a good resource.

Comments

Read This With Your Kids!: The Invisible String

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst is an important reminder of how we are connected to those we love and care about. The Invisible String is about two children who get scared from a storm during the night and seek out connection with their mom. Their mom then shares an important lesson she learned as a child about an invisible string that connects us to those that we care about, no matter how far away they are, or if they have passed on. We can feel and send tugs on the invisible string when we need a douse of connection. While reading a book to our child is awesome as is, stopping to ask some questions can help with comprehension and the ability to personalize the story. So here are some talking points: You can ask your child if they have ever felt tugs on the invisible string? When grief is brought up, you can discuss family members and friends that you still feel connected to even after a loss. At the conclusion of the book, ask who are some people you are connect

Schools out for summer; now what?

Exams are completed, graduations are coming to an end, and your children are now home for the summer. For nine months the home was yours, now your offspring and co. are invading your premises. It is a transition that comes every year, some parents dread it and others are like the father in the Staples back-to-school commercial from years ago: ‘It is the most wonderful time of the year!’ Children used to having their planners filled from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. now have about eight extra hours at their disposal and they aren’t 100 per cent sure of how to invest that time. School is out, now what do we do? All of us: children, students, and parents need ideas. As clinicians, we know this can be a trying time for a number of parents. It is a transition and all transitions have the potential for additional stress. We all have the dreams of what we want to do this summer: weekends at the lake, time spent out in the sun, quality time together, and many other wholesome interactive activ

Helping kids stay mentally healthy through COVID-19

Everybody freak out! Or don’t. As some of you may have heard, there is currently a type of coronavirus (COVID-19) that is spreading rapidly and negatively impacting individuals and systems around the world. As this novel narrative plays out it is hard to guess what the future of this virus will look like or the impact it will have on our families and communities. However, it is safe to say that it will, if it has not already, impact our day-to-day functioning dramatically. Anxiety is a natural reaction to these changes and the information flooding in and especially when some, if not most, of that information is sensationalized. Children rely on us to help them navigate their physical and emotional worlds. Children will likely experience fear, frustration, and a variety of other intense emotions as the impact of the pandemic continues to be felt. The following strategies are things I think will help children maintain resilience in the face of this unique stressor. Maintain Routines

Search This Blog