Parenting From the Inside Out

written by a brilliant woman trained in child psychiatry whose path was influenced by a need to heal the damages of her own childhood. That's How the Light Gets In: Memoir of a Psychiatrist by Susan Rako, M.D. owes its title to a song by Leonard Cohen: "There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." Rako's book is remarkably candid, fascinating, and wonderfully well-written. It's a great read. The writing just flows.

If you want to avoid making the same mistakes your parents made, if you know there is a better way of parenting than the one you have been exposed to, if you want to be a better parent. or if you want to parent with compassion and understanding.

Really good info for parents concerned with giving their kids the best of their parenting abilities. Kind of a technical read in some spots. Very interesting.

This book helped me gain enormous insight into myself and also create a compassionate space in which to parent. It is not an easy read, but it is important and well worth the effort. I've read some beautiful parenting books, but what many of them lack is what this book presents so beautifully. Until you can understand yourself better, all of the good intentions in the world will just crash down, leaving you feeling like a failure. I am so grateful that this book found me.

Parenting from the Inside Out is an easy-to-read book on the neurobiology of parenting. It builds upon the attachment theory of child development and contains useful exercises that are aimed at helping readers identify and work with psychological issues related to parenting.

The core theme of this book is that when parents cultivate a strong, healthy relationship with their children, it promotes development in areas of the brain enabling emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal skills. Experiences and memory shape emerging neural connections; essentially parents sculpt the minds of their children.

Unresolved issues from childhood may reduce the quality of the parent child relationship. Through deepening self-awareness and processing past issues in order to give meaning to them, parents can change ingrained patterns and help their children thrive. Parents can grow together with their children, enjoying them for who they are. Children in turn can become grounded in reality and more self-assured. Specific psychological concepts are introduced and clearly explained.

Siegel's openness in regard to his experience as a parent is courageous and serves to normalize the inevitable fact that parents are imperfect. Parental ambivalence is approached with sensitivity and guidance is provided regarding how to identify and heal negative patterns.

I highly recommend this book for parents who wish to deepen their relationships with their children and enhance the quality of their lives together. This book is also very useful for anyone working with children.