The Whole-Brain Child

actively choose how they interact with the people around them.
They can captain the ship of their lives, more easily avoiding the
banks of chaos and rigidity, and more often remaining in the
harmonious flow of well-being.
We’ve found time and again that teaching people about
integration and how to apply it in their daily lives has deep and
lasting positive eʃects. For kids, this approach can change the
direction of how they develop and set the stage for a life of
meaning, kindness, ɻexibility, and resilience. Some children who
have been raised with a whole-brain approach will say things that
seem wise beyond their years. A three-year-old we know became
so good at identifying and communicating seemingly contradictory
emotions that he told his parents, when they returned after he’d
spent an evening with his babysitter, “I missed you guys when you
were gone, but I also had fun with Katie.” And a seven-year-old
told her parents on the way to a family picnic, “I’ve decided not to
fuss about my hurt thumb at the park. I’ll just tell people I hurt
myself, and then have fun and play anyway.” This level of self-
awareness may seem remarkable in children so young, but it shows
you what’s possible with the whole-brain approach. When you’ve
become the active author of your life story and not merely the
passive scribe of history as it unfolds, you can create a life that you
love.
You can see how this kind of self-awareness would lead to
healthier relationships down the road, and especially what it could
mean for your children’s own kids when they become parents. By
raising a whole-brain child, you’re actually oʃering your future
grandchildren an important gift. For a moment, close your eyes and
imagine your child holding his child, and realize the power of what
you are passing on. And it won’t stop there. Your grandchildren can
take what they learn from their parents and pass it further along as
a continuing legacy of joy and happiness. Imagine watching your