On our bookshelf

July 30, 2007 | Print

Parenting from the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell

Highlights: Parenting from the Inside Out is a great place to start thinking about how our childhood experiences and emotions affect our parenting choices and reactions.

Hartzell is a child development specialist, parent educator and head of a well-respected preschool in Los Angeles. Stern is a UCLA professor of psychiatry and child psychiatrist who researches how communication influences brain development. They combine forces to illuminate how young brains develop, how our minds create patterns, and how to communicate with our children supportive to their authentic selves.

Lowlights: Can be heady in places and a bit overwhelming. We recommend reading a chapter a week and/or reading with a partner or close friend to talk through it. (Kelly talks with Michael though he doesn’t actually read–works fine.)

Why We Like It: The best book we’ve found to see ourselves as parents more clearly, and improve our communication with our kids from a self-aware place. Also helps us shed old patterns which makes life easier for us as well as improving our family dynamics.

Child’s Age: Pregnancy through preschool.

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