Family Neuroscience

In a time when so many children and young adults seem to be struggling, parents are looking for help in bringing up mentally healthy kids who are equipped to thrive. Finally, evidence-based help is now available for overwhelmed parents who are trying their best but feel like they’re falling short.

Between the ages of twelve and twenty-four, the brain changes in important and, at times, challenging ways. In Brainstorm, the renowned psychiatrist and bestselling author of Parenting from the Inside Out, The Whole-Brain Child, and Mindsight, Daniel Siegel busts a number of commonly held myths about adolescence — for example, that it is merely a stage of “immaturity” filled with often “crazy” behavior — to reveal how it is in fact a vital time in our lives in terms of charting the course for the adults we ultimately become.

One of the very best scientific predictors for how any child turns out - in terms of happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships - is whether at least one adult in their life has consistently shown up for them. In an age of scheduling demands and digital distractions, showing up for your child might sound like a tall order. But as best-selling authors Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson reassuringly explain, it doesn’t take a lot of time, energy, or money. Instead, showing up means offering a quality of presence.

When facing contentious issues such as screen time, food choices, and bedtime, children often act out or shut down, responding with reactivity instead of receptivity. This is what New York Times best-selling authors Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson call a No Brain response. But our kids can be taught to approach life with openness and curiosity. When kids work from a Yes Brain, they’re more willing to take chances and explore. They’re more curious and imaginative. They’re better at relationships and handling adversity.

Just as sturdy scaffolding is necessary when erecting a building and will come down when the structure grows stable, good parenting provides children with steady and warm emotional nourishment on the path toward independence. Never-ending parental problem-solving and involvement can have the opposite effect, enabling fragility and anxiety over time.

Greer Kirshenbaum, PhD. is a neuroscientist, doula, and parent. Her work began with the goal of developing new treatments for poor mental health; she dreamed of creating a new medication to address conditions like anxiety, depression, addiction, and chronic stress. Over time, she realized that science had already uncovered a powerful medicine for alleviating mental health struggles, but the answer wasn’t a pill. It was a preventative approach: when babies' receive nurturing care in the first three years of life, it builds strong, resilient brains.

Is your parenting journey turning out differently than you imagined? You had so much love to give, but now you feel ashamed and bewildered by your lack of compassion. You may be experiencing blocked care—a self-protective mechanism in your nervous system that makes it difficult to connect with your child and maintain compassion. When it happens, it’s like your heart seems to have left the relationship. But the good news is you are not a bad parent. You can heal from blocked care, and compassion can be rekindled in your heart.

Child development expert Ellen Galinsky challenges widely held assumptions about adolescents and offers new ways for parents and others to better understand and interact with them in a way that helps them thrive.

Before journalist Chelsea Conaboy gave birth, she anticipated the joy of holding her newborn, the endless dirty diapers, and the sleepless nights. What she didn’t expect was how different she would feel—a shift in self, as deep as it was disorienting. Something was changing: her brain. New parents undergo major brain changes, driven by hormones and the deluge of stimuli a baby provides. Conaboy delves into the neuroscience to reveal unexpected upsides, generations of scientific neglect, and a powerful new narrative of parenthood.

This welcome guide explains how to treat tics and Tourette syndrome using natural and alternative therapies, with a focus on environmental medicine and nutritional and dietary therapy. The status of behavioral and counseling therapies, EEG biofeedback, homeopathy, bodywork, energy medicine, and Chinese medicine as approaches are explored. Author Sheila Rogers DeMare discusses a range of categories of tics including spasmodic facial movements, eye blinking, mild sounds and vocalizations.

Supported by academic research focused on technology, Media Moms and Digital Dads breaks down complex issues in a friendly, accessible fashion, making it a highly useful and ultimately reassuring listen for anyone worried about the impact that media might be having on young minds. Dr. Uhls ends each chapter with a summary of the science, a bottom line for quick takeaway, and tips and guidance for parents.

Meet Florence Gordon, a blunt, brilliant feminist. At seventy-five, Florence wants to be left alone to write her memoir and shape her legacy. But when her son and his family come to visit, they embroil Florence in their dramas, threatening her coveted solitude. Marked with searing wit, sophisticated intelligence, and a tender respect for humanity, Florence Gordon is cast with a constellation of unforgettable characters. Chief among them is Florence herself, who can humble fools with a single barbed line, but who eventually finds that there are some realities even she cannot outwit.

Navigating parenthood is hard enough on its own. If you are faced with a blended family situation or are worried about your child’s emotional development, you may have spent hours looking for ways to help you on your parenting journey. Many people struggle with emotionally unresponsive children or have trouble navigating a new life with their stepchildren. If you have tried disciplinary techniques that don’t work, it may be your approach that needs to change. Welcome to the simple road map you have been looking for!

Searching for a roadmap to raise a successful child who makes a positive difference in this world? Neuroscientist and mother Erin Clabough teaches that to thrive as adults, children need to learn self-regulation, a master life skill founded in empathy, creativity, and self-control. The lack of even one of these intertwined skills underlies nearly all of the parenting problems we face.

En este libro, con un lenguaje cercano, me dirijo a las madres futuras y recientes para guiarlas en una reflexión sobre los cambios que vienen, sobre todo a nivel de afrontamiento materno, basándome en estudios neurocientíficos y formaciones psicológicas sólidas de crianza y apego. En Mamá contenta, bebé feliz encontrarás un mensaje de autocuidado, una llamada al abrazo de nosotras mismas con nuestras fortalezas y nuestras debilidades.

Three Wishes in Bardo draws an intimate picture of twentieth-century Hong Kong while telling the story of a typical Hong Kong bright boy and his devoted mother. It is also a story of scientific labor and discovery, where single-mindedness, integrity, talent, and skill rise from the mire of academic sharp-practice and envy. Different strands of the plot weave together to form a climactic ending where all characters’ lives resolve into fulfillment with a touch of humor and true catharsis created from genuine surprise.

As parents we all want the best for our child, but so often we give in to societal pressures which can result in us overmanaging every aspect of their lives, leaving them overwhelmed, overscheduled and lacking motivation. This can terrifyingly lead to mental health problems as adolescents and adults. How can we prevent this happening to our children? Over their combined 60 years of practice, William Stixrud, a clinical neuropsychologist, and Ned Johnson, the founder of an elite tutoring agency, have worked with thousands of children all facing this problem.

Before Chelsea Conaboy gave birth to her first child, she anticipated the joy of holding her newborn son, the endless dirty nappies and the sleepless nights. What she didn't expect was how different she would feel. It wasn't simply the extraordinary demands of this new role, but a shift in self—as deep as it was disorienting. In truth, something was changing: her brain.

Comprendre son enfant grâce aux neurosciences et répondre aux problématiques du quotidien. Comment faire quand votre enfant a des colères répétées ? S'il ne veut pas se coucher ? S'il ne veut pas manger, ni obéir ? Faut-il le punir ou s'opposer à lui ? Faut-il le laisser pleurer ? Au travers de nombreux exemples tirés de ses consultations, et en s'appuyant sur les recherches en neurosciences affectives, Catherine Gueguen propose ici une nouvelle approche : voir et ressentir le monde par les yeux de l'enfant et enfin pouvoir se mettre à sa hauteur.

Renowned neurologist Dr. Frances E. Jensen offers a revolutionary look at the brains of teenagers, dispelling myths and offering practical advice for teens, parents, and teachers. As a mother, teacher, researcher, clinician, and frequent lecturer to parents and teens, Dr. Jensen is in a unique position to explain to listeners the mystery and magic of the teen brain. In this audiobook, she brings to listeners the new, sometimes astonishing findings that are buried in academic journals.