Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behaviour and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids

Description

'I will be recommending this book to every parent' Dr Laura Markham 'I adore this book!' Dr Tina Payne Bryson Over her decades as a clinical psychologist, Dr Mona Delahooke has helped countless distraught parents who struggle to manage their children's challenging behaviours. These families are understandably focused on correcting or improving a child's lack of compliance, emotional outbursts, tantrums and other 'out of control' behaviour. But behaviour, no matter how challenging, is not the problem but a symptom; a clue about what is happening in a child's unique physiological makeup. In Brain-Body Parenting, Dr Delahooke offers a radical new approach to parenting based on an approach that considers the essential role of the entire nervous system, which produces children's feelings and behaviours. When we begin to understand the biology beneath the behaviour, suggests Dr Delahooke, we give our children the resources they need to grow and thrive, and we give ourselves the gift of a happier, more connected relationship with them. Brain-Body Parenting empowers parents with tools to help their children develop self-regulation skills, while also encouraging parental self-care. The result is a deeper understanding of your child, encouraging calmer behaviour, more harmonious family dynamics, and increased resilience.

Mona Delahooke, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of experience caring for children and their families. She is a senior faculty member of the Profectum Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting families of neurodiverse children, adolescents and adults. Dr. Delahooke holds the highest level of endorsement in the field of infant and toddler mental health in the state of California, as a Reflective Practice Mentor (RPM). She is a frequent speaker, trainer, and consultant to parents, organizations, schools, and public agencies. Dr. Delahooke has dedicated her career to promoting compassionate, relationship-based neurodevelopmental interventions for children with developmental, behavioral, emotional, and learning differences. She is the author of Social and Emotional Development in Early Intervention: A Skills Guide for Working with Children (PESI, 2017) and of the bestselling Beyond Behaviours (Sheldon press, 2020)

I adore this book! Brain-Body Parenting updates outdated lenses, offering powerful, practical ways to think about and respond to children. Dr. Delahooke shows caregivers how to understand children's emotions and behaviors, and guides us to respond in ways that are transformative both in the challenging moments, and in our child's development over time. Parents, teachers, grandparents, and the children they love, will all be deeply impacted by this beautiful book. -- Tina Payne Bryson, LCSW, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling co-author of 'The Whole-Brain Child' & 'No-Drama Discipline', and author of 'The Bottom Line for Baby' In Brain-Body Parenting, Dr Delahooke expands on her paradigm shifting-model of treating children with disruptive behaviours. In contrast to prevailing models that dominate parenting manuals and educational arenas, Dr Delahooke provides a more compassionate approach that addresses the needs of a child's nervous system and offers insightful examples for readers to rethink and restructure their parenting. This book is a game-changer. -- Dr Stephen Porges, author of 'The Polyvagal Theory' Brain-Body Parenting is an essential guide for parents craving a deeper understanding of their child's needs, as well as their own. Drawing on insight from her decades of experience as a clinician and mother of three, Delahooke shows readers how to be better detectives when interpreting their child's signals and how to apply attuned, responsive care to specifics like sleep, play, and skill development. This book is a gold mine of advice. -- Janet Lansbury, bestselling author of 'No Bad Kids' and host of 'Unruffled' Dr Mona Delahooke's latest book Brain-Body Parenting is an incredible, much needed gift to the parenting world. In her gentle, wise way she explains how our little children can struggle with learning how to navigate life and relationships. She not only shows the why, she shares so many stories of how parents can support their little ones to grow and thrive. This brilliant book needs to be in every home, early childhood setting, and primary school. -- Maggie Dent, bestselling author of 'From Boys to Men' and host of the 'Parental As Anything' podcast In this revolutionary book, Dr Mona Delahooke shares powerful insights and groundbreaking research for understanding a child's challenging behavior through the lens of neuroscience and polyvagal theory. With clarity, compassion, and easy to apply strategies, she offers parents and professionals a path to move children toward self-regulation, balance, and stability. An absolute must read. -- Susan Stiffelman, MFT, author of 'Parenting Without Power Struggles' Mona Delahooke speaks to parents like no other as she responds to their concerns and questions with understanding and insight. Her ability to translate and integrate neuroscience with body signalling and a child's emotional experience unravels the mystery of behaviours, offering an exquisite integration of mind, body, and heart. Both parents and professionals will appreciate this guide to raising resilient and secure children. -- Serena Wieder, Ph.D., clinical director of Profectum Foundation and co-creator of the DIR model