Short description:

Understanding Your Child's Brain simplifies the neuroscience behind what is going on in a child?s brain during the first six years of life to help parents develop the full intellectual and emotional potential of their children.

Long description:

Understanding Your Child's Brain simplifies the neuroscience behind what is going on in a child?s brain during the first six years of life to help parents develop the full intellectual and emotional potential of their children.

The book starts with an accessible explanation of the pillars and principals to understanding the child?s brain. It then provides tools to helps parents communicate more effectively with, nurture empathy in, and enforce rules and positive behaviours for their children. Examining how to develop the emotional intelligence of children as well as their intellect, the chapters examine how to raise children based on trust, assertiveness, and fearlessness, while also providing support and exercises in improving language, memory, creativity, and self-control.

This book offers parents and educators practical solutions to parenting problems and realistic advice for ensuring the healthy emotional and intellectual development of their children. It will also be relevant to all mental health professionals who want to be more assertive when talking to parents about their child?s problems and growth.

'Understanding Your Child's Brain includes common sense, easy to understand tools and strategies that are grounded in science to help parents and educators manage the everyday challenges encountered when raising and teaching children. Throughout the book, Dr. Bilbao explains principles of psychology, child development, and neuroscience to help the reader understand not just how to interact more positively and effectively with children but also why the techniques described facilitate healthy psychological and neurological development. This book absolutely will help parents to more fully understand their child?s brain.'

Beth Slomine, Director, Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Services, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore

'A book all adults should read.'

Javier Ortigosa, Psychotherapist, Spain

'In this well written and easy to read book for parents, Álvaro Bilbao, PhD, a neuropsychologist and father of three, gives insight into how a child?s early brain development shapes their world and affects their learning and behavior. Drawing on years of clinical practice and sound neuroscience, Dr. Bilbao provides parents with practical, age-appropriate strategies for everyday life to foster a child?s intellectual and emotional growth to help them reach their full potential. I highly recommend this book to all those raising young children.' 

Margaret B. Pulsifer, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Table of Contents:

Part I: Fundamentals 1. Principles for full brain development 2. Your child is like a tree 3. Enjoy the moment 4. The Top 3: What every parent needs to know about the brain 5. Balance Part II: Tools 6. Tools for supporting brain development 7. Patience and understanding 8. Empathy 9. Reinforcing rules and positive behaviour 10. Alternatives to punishment 11. Establishing limits without drama 12. Communication Part III: Emotional intelligence 13. Teach emotional intelligence 14. Bonds 15. Confidence 16. Growing up without fear 17. Assertiveness 18. Sowing the seeds for happiness Part IV: Strengthen the intellectual brain 19. Intellectual development 20. Attention 21. Memory 22. Language 23. Visual intelligence 24. Self-control 25. Creativity 26. The best apps for children under six years of age 27. Farewell