The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child by Daniel Siegel, Tina Payne Bryson

For a generation of children struggling to deal with the ups and downs of an ever-changing world, “The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child” by Dr. Daniel Siegel offers a message of hope. The book provides a comprehensive program envisioned to help children and teens navigate the struggles of growing up with strength and courage, ultimately leading to healthier, happier lives.

In “The Yes Brain,” Dr. Siegel draws on his expertise in psychology and neuroscience to demonstrate that children of all ages need to develop the skills and tools necessary for a flexible and balanced “yes brain”: the ability to move naturally and adaptively between exploration and security, between vigilance and calm, between eagerness and enthusiasm and caution and worry.

This five-step approach begins with the “Four Foundations of the Yes Brain”: safety, attunement, collaboration, and efficacy. Once these foundations are established, it is up to parents and caretakers to help their children develop the positive neural networks of the yes brain. Dr Siegel shows how to do this through fostering a sense of connectedness, adding more complex thought patterns, providing opportunities for mastery, and encouraging a proactive attitude of experimentation.

The book also provides children with strategies for self-regulating, focusing their attention and creating incentives for themselves. It also encourages parents to be more aware of their own reactions to their child’s behavior in order to better support their healthy development.

In addition to providing practical parenting advice, Dr. Siegel addresses larger concerns such as the effect of media, technology, and our current education system on children’s minds. He emphasizes the need for understanding and thoughtful engagement between children and parents, educators, and the world at large.

“The Yes Brain” is an invaluable source of support and information both for parents trying to be the best they can be in their children’s lives and for children striving to unearth their individual gifts and find their courage and voice. At the heart of the book lies the message that building emotional intelligence and resilience can be achieved through a positive, loving and supportive relationship. With this book, both parents and children can navigate their way to “yes” in their relationships, communities, and the world.