The Power of Showing Up cover art

The Power of Showing Up

How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired

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The Power of Showing Up

By: Daniel J. Siegel M.D., Tina Payne Bryson
Narrated by: Daniel J. Siegel M.D., Tina Payne Bryson
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About this listen

 Parenting isn’t easy. Showing up is. Your greatest impact begins right where you are. Now the bestselling authors of The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline explain what this means over the course of childhood.

“There is parenting magic in this book.”—Michael Thompson, Ph.D., co-author of the New York Times bestselling classic Raising Cain

One of the very best scientific predictors for how any child turns out—in terms of happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships—is whether at least one adult in their life has consistently shown up for them. In an age of scheduling demands and digital distractions, showing up for your child might sound like a tall order. But as bestselling authors Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson reassuringly explain, it doesn’t take a lot of time, energy, or money. Instead, showing up means offering a quality of presence. And it’s simple to provide once you understand the four building blocks of a child’s healthy development. Every child needs to feel what Siegel and Bryson call the Four S’s:

• Safe: We can’t always insulate a child from injury or avoid doing something that leads to hurt feelings. But when we give a child a sense of safe harbor, she will be able to take the needed risks for growth and change.
• Seen: Truly seeing a child means we pay attention to his emotions—both positive and negative—and strive to attune to what’s happening in his mind beneath his behavior.
• Soothed: Soothing isn’t about providing a life of ease; it’s about teaching your child how to cope when life gets hard, and showing him that you’ll be there with him along the way. A soothed child knows that he’ll never have to suffer alone.
• Secure: When a child knows she can count on you, time and again, to show up—when you reliably provide safety, focus on seeing her, and soothe her in times of need, she will trust in a feeling of secure attachment. And thrive!

Based on the latest brain and attachment research, The Power of Showing Up shares stories, scripts, simple strategies, and tips for honoring the Four S’s effectively in all kinds of situations—when our kids are struggling or when they are enjoying success; when we are consoling, disciplining, or arguing with them; and even when we are apologizing for the times we don’t show up for them. Demonstrating that mistakes and missteps are repairable and that it’s never too late to mend broken trust, this book is a powerful guide to cultivating your child’s healthy emotional landscape.

This audiobook includes a downloadable PDF of The Refrigerator Sheet, a summary of the four S’s to remember in forming secure attachments. Child Psychology Developmental Psychology Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships Health Emotional Intelligence For Kids
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An outstanding book that makes the concepts of attachment relationships and human development accessible for all. Not just a book on parenting, it’s an indispensable book for self-knowledge.

Understand yourself, your kids and family

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Attachment theory is a solid foundation to build strong relationships with our children. We need to learn to foster better relationships for our children and thereby giving them the tools to do the same with their children. Highly recommended read.

Wonderful read to better understand the foundation of attachment types.

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excellent book on childhood trauma and how we don't have to pass it onto our own kids.
great tips on how to show up and just be there for your partner and kids

excellent book

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A useful book with many good concepts. I think the authors should stick to writing books and leave the narration to the professionals. Found my mind drifting off because the narration was so monotone and didn’t keep me captivated as a listener.

Great content, uninspiring narration

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After a very successful school life I entered the ‘real’ world and struggled with heightened emotions. I could not understand why they occurred or why they were so intense. Controlling them became harder over the years and hit a peak recently when my two children reached adolescence. Psychologists gave me books on unhelpful thought patterns or on schemas but nothing fit or could easily be applied to me or my family - until I found this book. I am so grateful to the authors for writing it. So simple so relatable and so healing. It gave me hope that I still had time to show up for myself and my children. I thoroughly enjoyed the audio book. I look forward to reading/listening to other books from these authors. I recommend this book to any new parent or anyone who like myself was feeling disconnected.

Life Changing

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