Parenting Redefined: A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child’s Behavior to Help Them Thrive

“You need to parent the child that you have, rather than the child you wish you had,” advises Cook (I Got You Mamma), a pediatrician and parent of two, in this insightful guide. Understanding a child’s unique needs and meeting them where they are, Cook argues, makes parenting less stressful and more enjoyable. She encourages parents to learn about the stages of cognitive and emotional development to better understand how to respond to a child’s behavior at each stage of life. For example, understanding that undesirable behaviors like tantrums aren’t necessarily a reflection on parent or child but simply the result of a brain that is still developing can help parents adjust their expectations when their child throws a fit. As kids get older and their needs become more complex, Cook encourages parents to allow age-appropriate autonomy, whether in the form of choosing their own clothes as toddlers or exploring different belief systems as teens, and to support them through both successes and failures. Coupling the above strategies with clear expectations and age-appropriate consequences (not to be confused with punishments, which she says should be avoided if they do not offer learning opportunities) will allow parents to build strong relationships with their children, Cook convincingly argues. New parents and those deep in the trenches will find this an essential resource. (Nov.)