The Whole-Brain Child

The Whole-Brain Child

This book. Right here. Wow. If you have had trauma in your life or if you are raising kids from difficult places, this is the book for you. There is so much information. Thankfully, it doesn’t just spew out the facts and lots of psych-type information. The Whole-Brain Child gives you examples, charts, drawings, and comics to help you. I’m overwhelmed. I read it through, and now I’m rereading it with several highlighters.

The Back of the Book

“In this pioneering, practical book, Daniel J. Siegel, neuropsychiatrist and parenting expert Tina Payne Bryson offer a revolutionary approach to child rearing with twelve key strategies that foster healthy brain development, leading to calmer, happier children. The authors explain – and make accessible – the new science of how a child’s brain is wired and how it matures. The ‘upstairs brain,’ which makes decisions and balances emotions, is under construction until the mid-twenties. And especially in young children, the right brain and its emotions tend to rule over the logic of the left brain. No wonder kids throw tantrums, fight, or sulk in silence. By applying these discoveries to everyday parenting, you can turn any outburst, argument, or fear into a chance to integrate your child’s brain and foster vital growth.”

Welcome to my Brain

So, for me, when it comes to books like this, I have a method. Yes, I read the introduction and the last chapter (along with whatever else is at the end of the book). Yet, with this, I have to go further. I am a person that has experienced trauma. My diagnosis is Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). Also, I raise kids from hard places. Add that to my marriage and family therapy degree, and you know this girl’s brain is working on overdrive.

For this book, I have purple highlights for the left part of the brain (logic), yellow for the right side of the brain (emotions and then some), orange for integration (both sides playing well together in the sandbox), blue for the upstairs part of the brain, green for the downstairs part of the brain, and a bluish-green for the amygdala. Then, an ink pen to drive it all home and make stars and notes.

Visual Learning at Its Best

I am a visual learner, and this is stuff that I need a flowchart to implement. It could take me 250 years to process all the information in this book. So, I’m going to do it a little bit at a time. Once I finish reviewing the book, I will probably print out my posts and put them in my binder for work. There is so much in here that I want to use with my clients once I start back to work.

For now, I’m learning a lot about myself and how I parent. I’m learning a lot about my parents and how they parented. Lastly, I’m learning how to help my kids and my grandkids. I certainly do not want my children to make the same wretched mistakes I made.

I’m overwhelmed and excited to dive in! **Honestly, I’ve already eaten my feelings, called my mama, drank some chicken broth, drank a coke, and am scavaging for anything sweet. Lots of thoughts and feelings swirling around in my head.*