The Whole-Brain Child

parents can have on their children and on society as a whole.
There’s nothing more important you can do as a parent than to be
intentional about the way you’re shaping your child’s mind. What
you do matters profoundly.
That being said, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. We’ve
emphasized the importance of taking advantage of the moments
you have with your kids, but it’s not realistic to think you can do
this 100 percent of the time. The point is to remain aware of the
daily opportunities to nurture your kids’ development. But that
doesn’t mean you have to be constantly talking about the brain or
repeatedly prodding your children to recall signiɹcant events in
their lives. It’s just as important to relax and have fun together.
And yes, sometimes it’s even okay to let a teachable moment pass
by.
We realize that all this talk about your power to shape your
children’s minds and inɻuence the future can feel intimidating at
ɹrst, especially since genes and experiences aʃect kids in ways
parents simply can’t control. But if you really get the concept of
The Whole-Brain Child at its essence, you’ll see that it can liberate
you from your fears that you’re not doing a good enough job with
your kids. It’s not your responsibility to avoid all mistakes, any
more than you’re supposed to remove all obstacles your children
face. Instead, your job is to be present with your children and
connect with them through the ups and downs of life’s journey.
The great news The Whole-Brain Child oʃers is that even the hard
times you go through with your kids, even the mistakes you make
as you parent, are opportunities to help your children grow, learn,
and develop into people who are happy, healthy, and fully
themselves. Rather than ignoring their big emotions or distracting
them from their struggles, you can nurture their whole brain,
walking with them through these challenges, staying present and thus
strengthening the parent-child bond and helping your kids feel