I heard Dr. Becky Kennedy on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast the other week and decided to listen to her book: Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be.
I know. I’m not a parent right now. Call it preparation? manifesting? Maybe just being genuinely interested in how we raise good humans.
A little about the book (via Goodreads): “In this ground-breaking book, Dr. Becky builds from the baseline of a radically simple but profound truth: You are good inside. Your kids are good inside. There are no “bad kids” or “bad parents”–there are only good kids having a hard time, and good parents struggling to do their jobs well. After diffusing blame and shame, she asks readers to shift their focus from discipline to connection. Because the only way we can help our kids through tough times, suggests Dr. Becky, is to reinforce secure attachment.”
The work covers everything from developing your child’s confidence and intuition, to tantrums, to why kids lie and how to deal with it. At the heart it’s all pretty simple — lean into connecting with your kids, holding boundaries when needed, but always naming and validating feelings. For example, holding a boundary when TV time is over but saying something like “It’s really hard to stop watching — for me too. One of my parenting jobs is to make decisions I think are good for you, even when you’re upset. Screen time is over. If it’s hard for you to shut off the TV, I will do it for you. You’re allowed to be upset.” (quoted in this CNN article)
I really enjoyed the book. It made me first deeply appreciate how I was raised. If I do have kids, I’m going to have to read and reread this one. I know Becky Kennedy has a ton of resources along her work in the book — workshops and scripts and other resources are on her website.
With Love,
Natalie