The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel M.D., PH D Tina Payne Bryson

Notes From Your Bookseller A child's brain is a mystifying thing, and this book is here to help parents and caregivers better understand that brain in order to address its individual struggles. This is a scientific, yet approachable examination of how a child's brain grows and functions, so that you can help maximize its potential. NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? More than 1 million copies in print! ? The authors of No-Drama Discipline and The Yes Brain explain the new science of how a child's brain is wired and how it matures in this pioneering, practical book. Simple, smart, and effective solutions to your child's struggles.--Harvey Karp, M.D. In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and author of the bestselling Mindsight, and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain--and make accessible--the new science of how a child's brain is wired and how it matures. The upstairs brain, which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child's brain and foster vital growth. Complete with age-appropriate strategies for dealing with day-to-day struggles and illustrations that will help you explain these concepts to your child, The Whole-Brain Child shows you how to cultivate healthy emotional and intellectual development so that your children can lead balanced, meaningful, and connected lives. [A] useful child-rearing resource for the entire family . . . The authors include a fair amount of brain science, but they present it for both adult and child audiences.--Kirkus Reviews Strategies for getting a youngster to chill out [with] compassion.--The Washington Post This erudite, tender, and funny book is filled with fresh ideas based on the latest neuroscience research. I urge all parents who want kind, happy, and emotionally healthy kids to read The Whole-Brain Child. This is my new baby gift.--Mary Pipher, Ph.D., author of Reviving Ophelia and The Shelter of Each Other Gives parents and teachers ideas to get all parts of a healthy child's brain working together.--Parent to Parent Editorial Reviews Advance praise for The Whole-Brain Child Siegel and Bryson reveal that an integrated brain with parts that cooperate in a coordinated and balanced manner creates a better understanding of self, stronger relationships, and success in school, among other benefits. With illustrations, charts, and even a handy 'Refrigerator Sheet,' the authors have made every effort to make brain science parent-friendly.--Publishers Weekly Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson have created a masterful, reader-friendly guide to helping children grow their emotional intelligence. This brilliant method transforms everyday interactions into valuable brain-shaping moments. Anyone who cares for children--or who loves a child--should read The Whole-Brain Child.--Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence Fears? Fights? Frustrations? Help is here! Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson turn leading brain science into simple, smart--and effective--solutions to your child's struggles.--Harvey Karp, M.D., bestselling author of The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block This erudite, tender, and funny book is filled with fresh ideas based on the latest neuroscience research. I urge all parents who want kind, happy, and emotionally healthy kids to read The Whole-Brain Child. I wish I had read it when my kids were young, but no one knew then what Siegel and Bryson share with us in an immensely practical way. This is my new baby gift.--Mary Pipher, Ph.D., author of Reviving Ophelia and The Shelter of Each Other The Whole-Brain Child is chock-full of strategies for raising happy, resilient children. It offers powerful tools for helping children develop the emotional intelligence they will need to be successful in the world. Parents will learn ways to feel more connected to their children and more satisfied in their role as a parent. Most of all, The Whole-Brain Child helps parents teach kids about how their brain actually works, giving even very young children the self-understanding that can lead them to make good choices and, ultimately, to lead meaningful and joyful lives.--Christine Carter, Ph.D., author of Raising Happiness In their dynamic and readable new book, Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson sweep aside the old models of 'good' and 'bad' parenting to offer a scientific focus: the impact of parenting on brain development. Parents will certainly recognize themselves in the lively 'aha' anecdotes that fill these pages. More important, they will see how everyday empathy and insight can help a child to integrate his or her experience and develop a more resilient brain.--Michael Thompson, Ph.D., co-author of the bestselling Raising Cain - From the Publisher Neuropsychiatrist Siegel (Parenting from the Inside Out) teams up with psychotherapist Bryson in this brain guidebook for parents. The authors assert that parents can have a positive and important impact on helping kids develop brain skills. Siegel and Bryson clearly explain how the brain develops, pointing out specific examples of the brain at work in various situations (e.g., a four-year-old who melts down when left at preschool is working from her right brain; a 12-year-old who denies her emotions after a quarrel with a friend operates from the left brain). The authors offer 12 strategies parents can use to help their children integrate the various parts of the brain. For instance, a strategy called Connect and Redirect is used when a child is having a tantrum; it's best to connect with the right or emotional side of the brain, offering comfort, and later appeal to the left or logical brain when the child has calmed down (when a child is upset, logic often doesn't work). Siegel and Bryson reveal that an integrated brain with parts that cooperate in a coordinated and balanced manner creates a better understanding of self, stronger relationships, and success in school, among other benefits. With illustrations, charts, and even a handy Refrigerator Sheet, the authors have made every effort to make brain science parent-friendly. (Oct.) - Publishers Weekly Both authors have pleasing voices as they deliver their enlightening message with appealing enthusiasm. Sounding committed to their work, they clearly enjoy being helpful. Discussing children from the toddler through the preteen years, their book uses engaging stories and imagery to explain how the functions of the brain become integrated as children grow. They show, for example, how parents, teachers, and others can help children balance the creative and structuring hemispheres of the brain. The material explains how children can learn to reconcile primitive emotions with logical, reality-based functioning. The authors' accessible recommendations are notable for their use of conversation and stories to help children grow from disruptive experiences. This is an exceptional resource for helping children to manage their impulses and reactions, make decisions, develop personal insight, connect with other people, and become confident, adaptable adults. T.W. 2013 Audies Finalist AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine - NOVEMBER 2012 - AudioFile