Tina Payne Bryson

The Whole-Brain Child

1. IDEA 1

   Children's brains are still developing

   Siegel and Bryson explain that children's brains are not fully developed, especially the parts that manage emotions and planning. Understanding this helps parents respond to difficult behaviour with patience rather than frustration.

2. IDEA 2

   Connect before redirecting

   When a child is upset, the authors suggest first connecting emotionally, through empathy and comfort, before using logic or discipline. Connection calms the child's emotional brain. The authors present this as a way to help a child feel heard before asking anything of them.

3. IDEA 3

   Naming feelings tames them

   The authors suggest helping children tell the story of upsetting experiences. Naming feelings helps the logical brain make sense of emotions. The authors suggest that putting an upsetting event into words helps children feel less overwhelmed by it.

All 8 ideas from The Whole-Brain Child →