Raising Your Spirited Child

In this fourth edition of her perennial bestselling book, Dr. Mary Sheedy Kurcinka utilizes her deep experience to address the pressures previous generations of parents didn’t have to consider. Her empathy and effective advice are exemplified in the introduction of her new and easy to apply Spirited Child Approach, which nurtures the entire family.

The Spirited Child Approach helps parents understand their child and their own inborn temperament while focusing on three simple, but vital concepts—calm, connect, and coach—to help their family thrive. Research- and strength-based, yet honest, Raising Your Spirited Child speaks to parent burnout and, in a helpful and supportive manner, offers solutions to that exasperated question, “How am I supposed to stay calm and connect with my child when I’m just trying to survive the moment?”

In this newly revised edition Dr. Mary:

Introduces the calming effect of routine. Experts often focus on calming a child in the middle of a meltdown, but dealing with ten or twenty flare-ups a day is exhausting. Dr. Mary demonstrates how bringing structure into daily routines—even when every day seems different—stops the tantrums, power struggles, morning wars, and bedtime battles before they ever start. Structure calms everyone. Recognizes that families are different. Dr. Mary’s refreshing philosophy is one size does NOT fit all. In the social media culture of comparison and claiming that there’s only one “right” way, Dr. Mary explains individual differences and encourages parents to trust their own intuition as they select the strategies that fit their child’s needs and their family’s situation. Thoughtfully addresses the impact of social media and electronic use on the well-being of all family members. No guilt or shame here, just insightful questions that encourage informed screen time and offer healthy alternatives when a few minutes of peace or distraction are needed. Prioritizes sleep for everyone—without leaving anyone to cry. The importance of adequate sleep and realistic strategies to get it are woven throughout the book. Sleep is the best self-care strategy for all! Even fans of the previous editions of this book will find tons of brand-new information and skills—updated with Dr. Mary’s latest findings after close to a decade of additional experience as a parenting coach, and for the challenging age of parenting in the age of smartphones and social media.