The Whole-Brain Child , a book written by Siegel and Bryson (2011), is a parenting book that has received a lot of attention, especially in regards to its practicality. In an easy-to-read style, Bryson and Siegel elucidate on how the child’s brain develops, the mechanisms of its actions, as well as how to relate and aid children as they learn, identify, and deal with their emotions. The book also provides robust instances and lessons so that the readers, who are often parents, have a comprehensive and holistic perspective of the internal traits of children. It showcases how to create bonds with them and help them to feel safe. Most importantly, the book delves into the aspect of becoming a proficient teacher for children. Some of the primary concepts that are mentioned in the book are in regards to the division of the parts of the brain, particularly concerning its function. For instance, the book mentions the concept of the left brain and right brain and the upstairs and downstairs brain. The left brain is the logical part, while the right brain represents the emotional part of the brain. In the same manner, the upstairs brain is the sophisticated analytical section, while the downstairs is contrary as it is the primitive and reactive segment of the brain.
Some of the developmental stages mentioned in the book include infant/toddler (0-3), preschooler (3-6), early school Age (6-9), and later school age (9-12). While the book has not explicitly discussed what goes on during these stages of child development, the authors primarily use such developmental stages in order to delve into the different strategies that are most appropriate for different stages of child development. The book explicitly mentions different phases when advising parents on how to apply the twelve whole-brain strategies to each new stage and age of the child. Therefore, the authors provide a chart for parents to use as a quick reference guide anytime they want to utilize the strategies mentioned in the books for each stage. The twelve primary strategies that are central to each stage of development include;
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Connect and redirect
Name it to tame it
Engage don’t enrage
Use it or lose it
Move it or lose it
Use the remote of the mind
Remember to remember
Let the clouds of emotions roll by
Sift
Exercise mindsight
Increase the family fun factor; and
Connect through conflict.
One of the most interesting parts of the book is the 12 th brain strategy which is connecting via conflict as this is an important aspect of each person’s life. Conflict is part and parcel of our lives, and thus the book recognizes this situation and tries to use it as an advantage. Some of the mentioned strategies in this section are relevant to the needs of the child and those of the society, and I find such strategies to be a crucial factor of healthy familial and societal relations. When such strategies are applied by each parent, the world would be a more just and peaceful place.
I would recommend this book to each parent, especially those looking to have a robust emotional connection with their children. The book is also easy to read and thus provides a more straightforward and simple way for parents to understand and practice what they have learned. The book also provides parents with many helpful strategies and gives the reader a valuable toolbox when nurturing their children. Furthermore, the real-life examples and stratagems aid any caregiver to easily teach their kids to recognize and control their emotions and connect with the world.
Parent-Child Relations Context, Research, And Application
Phyllis Heath’s Parent-Child Relations Context, Research, And Application is a book that takes a developmental and contextual methodology to expound on parent-child relations. The book is created for scholars as it provides them with parenting theories, research as well as application. The book delves into the different stages of development, inclusive of older parents and their adult children, and thus utilizes a holistic approach to parenting in all kinds of contexts, including military families, foster families, as well as families with LGBTQ members (Heath, 2018). In comparison to The Whole-Brain Child , this book provides several scenarios in different parenthoods and thus encapsulates different contexts of parenting . One of the important aspects of the book is that it provides a realistic picture of the parenting world as not all children are born the same. It also mentions some of the aspects of being in an abnormal family and is thus representative of the typical situations parents and children may find themselves in.
Some of the developmental stages mentioned in this particular book include infants and toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, adolescents, young adults, and middle-age. Therefore, this book is comprehensive in regards to parenting, especially when it pertains to different age groups. When contrasted to The Whole-Brain Child, this book is more comprehensive and encapsulates more age groups and developmental stages.
Among the most interesting things about this book is that it provides a historical perspective on parenting and how it has changed over time. This helps parents understand the evolutionary processes of how the current parenting styles came to be and what influences and forces were influential in such progressions. For instance, the book provides a chronological account of the parenting styles from the 19 th century to the 21 st century. The Whole-Brain Child takes a modern, but neutral approach to parenthood with no accounts for influences of time in parenthood.
I would recommend this book to both parents and scholars as it is not only informative but also provides robust strategies that parents can use to get the best out of their children, depending on their contexts. This book is more technical and in-depth and thus can be recommended to students, researchers, as well as parents that want to understand the intricacies of child-rearing and parenthood. This is contrary to The Whole-Brain Child, which is simple and straightforward and written for the most typical parent.
References
Heath, P. (2018). Parent-child relations: Context, research, and application . Pearson Higher Ed.
Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2012). The whole-brain child: 12 revolutionary strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind . Bantam.
