Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids
National Bestseller
Next Big Idea Club Nominee
“This book is a game-changer.”
– Dr. Stephen Porges, author of The Polyvagal Theory
“This book offers a radically effective approach to parenting that will turn everything you think you know upside-down.”
– Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion and Fierce Self-Compassion
Brain-Body Parenting
How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids
From a leading child psychologist comes this groundbreaking new understanding of children’s behavior, offering insight and strategies to support both parents and children.
In Brain-Body Parenting, Dr. Delahooke offers a radical new approach to parenting based on her clinical experience as well as the most recent research in neuroscience and child psychology. Instead of a “top-down” approach to behavior that focuses on the thinking brain, she calls for a “bottom-up” approach that considers the essential role of the entire nervous system, which produces children’s feelings and behaviors.
When we begin to understand the biology beneath the behavior, 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 – and the energy to provide the essential “co-regulation” children need. When parents shift from trying to secure compliance to supporting connection and balance in the body and mind, they unlock a deeper understanding of their child, encouraging calmer behavior, more harmonious family dynamics, and increased resilience.
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In Brain-Body Parenting Dr. Delahooke expands on her paradigm shifting-model of treating children with disruptive behaviors. 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
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 Brain-Body Parenting updates outdated lenses, offering powerful, practical ways to think about and respond to children.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, Mona Delahooke translates the latest relational neuroscience research into easily readable and actionable support for parents, amplifying the importance of attuned and loving parent-child relationships. I will be recommending this book to every parent who has at times struggled with their child’s out of control behavior, or their own — which is everyone!
– Dr. Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids and founder of Aha! Parenting
Dr Mona Delahooke’s Brain-Body Parenting is an incredible, much needed gift. In her gentle, wise way Dr. Delahooke explains how parents can help their children grow, thrive, and navigate life and relationships. 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
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
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 signaling and a child’s emotional experience unravels the mystery of behaviors, 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, Profectum Foundation and co-creator of the DIR model
Pediatric psychologist Delahooke (Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion To Understand and Solve Children’s Behavioral Challenges) outlines how parents can discover what’s underlying their child’s behavior, rather than merely managing the behavior itself. Her book emphasizes the importance of understanding both the brain and the body and cites research in neuroscience and psychology. By learning how the brain and body react in tandem, parents can make wise choices and approach challenging moments as experiences that provide crucial information about their child, Delahooke argues. For instance, she advocates looking to children’s body signals (body language, facial expressions, gestures) and letting those signs moderate parents’ responses and set out a road map for making decisions. Delahooke gives other examples of applying neuroscience to parenting too, like looking without judging; validating a child’s experience; and reflecting on the parent’s own experiences of personal struggle, in order to model healthy emotional regulation. The book includes ideas for nurturing children’s ability to self-regulate, shares tips for self-care, and explains how sensory information can influence children’s behaviors. VERDICT A fascinating and practical look at how neurobiology can be applied to parenting challenges.
— Julia Reffner, Library Journal
In Brain-Body Parenting Dr. Delahooke expands on her paradigm shifting-model of treating children with disruptive behaviors. 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
I adore this book! Brain-Body Parenting updates outdated lenses, offering powerful, practical ways 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, Mona Delahooke translates the latest relational neuroscience research into easily readable and actionable support for parents, amplifying the importance of attuned and loving parent-child relationships. I will be recommending this book to every parent who has at times struggled with their child’s out of control behavior, or their own–which is everyone!
– Dr. Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent
Happy Kids and founder of Aha! Parenting