Though I don’t see any children in my practice, I see a lot of parents, so I sometimes seek out research-based, but relatable, parenting books. The Whole-Brain Child by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson is rooted in neuroscience so that parents can respond to their children in way that makes sense to the developing brain.

Drs. Siegel and Bryson introduce 12 strategies for fostering healthy emotional and cognitive development in children, all grounded in the concept of “whole-brain integration.” This book emphasizes helping children understand and utilize the different parts of their brain:

1. The Left and Right Brain: Learning to balance logical reasoning with emotional intuition.

2. The Upstairs and Downstairs Brain: Encouraging children to use their “upstairs brain” (responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation) instead of being hijacked by the reactive “downstairs brain.”

3. Implicit and Explicit Memories: Helping children process their experiences in ways that build resilience and self-awareness.

These concepts are explained using relatable metaphors and real-world examples, making complex ideas easy to understand.

The Whole-Brain Child gave me concrete examples of daily struggles parents face and research-backed structure to create a calmer home. I’m very appreciative of their work and would recommend this book to parents and anyone who helps support kiddos.