What Every Parent Needs to Know

Book excerpt: An expert guide to parenting with a new chapter on mental health and a refreshed illustrative style Understand key stages in your child’s development and discover effective parenting strategies from experts in education and neuroscience. What Every Parent Needs to Know delves into the latest research on child brain development and then applies it to real-life scenarios that all parents face. What’s key is that this isn’t one person’s opinion or experience of parenting. Director of Education at the Centre for Child Mental Health Margot Sunderland, together with research from Professor Jaak Panksepp, who has studied the emotional brain for over 30 years, presents evidence-based strategies for parents looking for trusted information and guidance on how best to raise their family. Alongside detailed information on how the child’s brain is working, anatomical illustrations present the science visually, while case studies and Q&As apply the science to everyday situations. Parenting strategies span from sleep training your newborn right through to 12 years old, addressing separation, seeking, social development, and more. Importantly, this book not only focuses on your child’s needs but also yours as a parent, with advice on looking after yourself, too. New material on child mental health completes this new edition, making it the ultimate parenting tome.