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by Daniel A Hughes & Jonathan Baylin An attachment specialist and a clinical psychologist with neurobiology expertise team up to explore the brain science behind parenting. In this groundbreaking exploration of the brain mechanisms behind healthy caregiving, attachment specialist Daniel A. Hughes and veteran clinical psychologist Jonathan Baylin guide readers through the intricate web of neuronal processes, hormones, and chemicals that drive―and sometimes thwart―our caregiving impulses, uncovering the mysteries of the parental brain. The biggest challenge to parents, Hughes and Baylin explain, is learning how to regulate emotions that arise―feeling them deeply and honestly while staying grounded and aware enough to preserve the parent–child relationship. Stress, which can lead to “blocked” or dysfunctional care, can impede our brain’s inherent caregiving processes and negatively impact our ability to do this. While the parent–child relationship can generate deep empathy and the intense motivation to care for our children, it can also trigger self-defensive feelings rooted in our early attachment relationships, and give rise to “unparental” impulses. Learning to be a “good parent” is contingent upon learning how to manage this stress, understand its brain-based cues, and respond in a way that will set the brain back on track. To this end, Hughes and Baylin define five major “systems” of caregiving as they’re linked to the brain, explaining how they operate when parenting is strong and what happens when good parenting is compromised or “blocked.” With this awareness, we learn how to approach kids with renewed playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy, re-regulate our caregiving systems, foster deeper social engagement, and facilitate our children’s development. Infused with clinical insight, illuminating case examples, and helpful illustrations, Brain-Based Parenting brings the science of caregiving to light for the first time. Far from just managing our children’s behavior, we can develop our “parenting brains,” and with a better understanding of the neurobiological roots of our feelings and our own attachment histories, we can transform a fraught parent-child relationship into an open, regulated, and loving one. -
by Sue Badeau, illustrated by Chelsea Badeau “Building Bridges of Hope” is a coloring book for adults caring for children who have experienced trauma. Within these pages you will find whimsical, calming and inspiring artwork to color while learning about the short and long term effects of trauma on children and what you can do to make a difference. The text pages, facing each of the art pages, provide effective strategies, tips and tools for helping children as they journey from the pain, confusion and stress often associated with trauma to the hope and well-being associated with healing. The author/illustrator team also has a companion book for children entitled Bubbles & Butterflies. Drawing from her academic background in child development, professional experiences in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems and personal experience raising 22 children, many of whom experienced significant early life trauma, Sue offers a unique combination of clinical and research-based expertise with practical, down-to-earth approaches that busy parents can implement with minimal investment of time and money. The lessons, strategies and activities suggested in this book have been tried and tested by parents, caregivers and professionals from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life. Throughout the book, research and resources are highlighted. Citations and more information about all of the resources mentioned can be found at the end of the book. The simple artwork has been designed to seed and inspire the reader’s own creativity. Several blank pages have been included where you can respond to the messages in the text with ideas and images of your own. Pulling together her own unique designs with artwork created by several of her siblings and nieces, artist Chelsea Badeau draws on her professional background in the communications arena and years of community service with children to create a unified collection of healing images. -
by Deborah D. Gray and Megan Clarke Packed full of great ideas for fun games and activities, this book encourages positive attachments between a parent or carer and their child. When it comes to choosing the best games to play with children who have difficulties attaching, it is often hard to know how to play with a purpose. This book contains fun, age-appropriate games along with an explanation of why they matter. All the games included are designed for specific age ranges, from infants to older children, and help to address particular needs in children that are known to affect attachment, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It provides an easy-to-understand description of attachment and reveals the crucial role that play has in forming attachments. Written for parents and carers, as well as for use by professionals, it is full of strategies to help build healthy attachments in children who have experienced early trauma. -
Healing Connections is an essential guide for professionals and caregivers working with children who have complex needs stemming from early trauma, losses, or involvement in the child welfare system. This updated resource builds on prior foundational knowledge to deliver contemporary tools and practices tailored to today's diverse families, including foster and adoptive families. By incorporating insights from a wide range of experts, the book reflects a multi-systemic approach that addresses collective trauma and the crucial role of belonging and community in healing. Aligning with the latest evidence-based practices, Healing Connections emphasizes the importance of staying informed about recent research and advancements in the field. Whether you're a caregiver or a professional supporting children and youth, this book provides valuable knowledge and practical resources to enhance your understanding and effectiveness. Healing Connections aims to enlighten and equip you with essential strategies to foster healing and growth in children facing significant challenges. -
by Sarah Lloyd Does your child struggle to know how their body is feeling? Do they find it hard to balance or feel uneasy when their feet leave the ground? Early trauma and neglect can have a profound effect upon a child's development. Sensory integration theory offers a way of understanding how the brain processes and stores movement experience, and how these experiences manifest at a physical and emotional level. This book explains how early movement experiences affect brain development and gives examples of how trauma can prevent basic sensory processing pathways from being correctly established. It shows how you can identify gaps in normal sensory development and offers ideas for how you can use physical activities to help build up the underdeveloped systems. Good bodily awareness forms the foundation of motor development as well as social and emotional skills and learning. This book will help your child to be more in tune with themselves and their bodies and feel more comfortable in their environment. Highly accessible with lots of practical tips and examples, this book is written for adoptive and foster parents, and will also be useful for social workers, fostering and adoption workers and those working in primary and early years educational settings. -
by Dr. Barbara Sorrels and Cathy Chalmers, M.A. Once you understand attachment, parenting makes a lot more sense. The basics of child development, and the importance of attachment, will equip you to create meaningful and secure relationships that last a lifetime. You’ll discover:- What is healthy attachment How to nurture connection in various ages and stages
- The crucial differences between punishment and discipline
- How child development research aligns with biblical truth
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by Robyn Gobbel "All behavior makes sense" '"It most certainly does not!", is probably your first reaction. Parenting and neuroscience expert Robyn Gobbel is here to reveal how all behavior, no matter how baffling, can be explained and remedied. You just need to look past the behavior and understand what's going on inside. Robyn decodes the latest brain science into easy-to-understand principles and metaphors to help you become an expert in your child's behavior. She reveals simple ways to help you regulate and connect with your child, with brain-, body- and sensory-based strategies to overcome day-to-day challenges. She also provides you with the knowledge to understand and regulate your own brain so that you don't flip your lid when your child flips theirs. Let this be your lifeline for parenting or caring for any child with baffling behaviors and hidden challenges, including kids who have experienced adversity, or with additional needs. -
by Allison Davis Maxon, illustrated by Liza Stevens Based on the pioneering Seven Core Issues model, this resource is an accessible and age-appropriate way to support children and teens who have experienced early adversity, to strengthen understanding and healing. The Seven Core Issues are Loss, Rejection, Shame/Guilt, Grief, Identity, Intimacy and Mastery/Control. This resource combines two separate interactive workbooks - one for children developmentally aged 5-11, the other for children developmentally aged 12+. These can be filled in, photocopied or downloaded and provide a structured way for children and teens to explore their feelings and beliefs using exercises and activities. An ideal accompaniment to the Seven Core Issues Workbook for Parents of Traumatized Children and Teens, this resource will be valued by all adults supporting children who have experienced early adversity. -
By Sharon Roszia and Allison Davis Maxon Based on a hugely successful US model, The Seven Core Issues Workbook is accessible and parent-friendly with brief explanations, activities and exercises. The Seven Core Issues are Loss, Rejection, Shame/Guilt, Grief, Identity, Intimacy and Mastery/Control. The workbook gives parents the ability to explore their own issues as well as their child's through varies experiential exercise and activities. Parents can identify and address their core issues in order to more effectively assist and support the child's core issues. The workbook and its exercises allow for a variety of diverse groups to use the book with ease, making it the essential tool for all individuals to grow and heal themselves and their families.
