The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson is a book written for parents or anyone who may be around a child from the age of birth to 12. Dr. Daniel Siegel is known in the psychology field by his research of the brain; integrating the different parts and using tools to develop it. He uses a lot of mindfulness techniques.
The book is divided into 5 basic sections of brain education and tools to help your child with development of the various parts. The 5 sections include; left and right brain, upstairs and downstairs brain, memories, mindsight(looking inward), and empathy and connection.
I found this book to be a quick but informative read. I love the symbols they use to describe more complex functions of the brain. For example: “As a result, kids are prone to getting “trapped downstairs,” without the use of their upstairs brain, which results in them flying off the handle, making poor decisions, and showing a general lack of empathy and self-understanding.” The authors include comics of typical scenarios with responses as well as their suggested responses. I think the tools in each chapter are valuable for parents. The end of the book includes each section with how to implement the tools, divided up by age ranges.
Read this book if:
- You are a parent of a child from 0-12 or work with children in this age range.
- Want more brain development information.
- Looking for better ways to communicate with your child.
- Want more tools as a parent in handling the emotional ups and downs of your child.
Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2011). The whole-brain child: 12 revolutionary strategies to nurture your child’s developing mind. New York: Delacorte Press.