the whole-brain child

There’s this book I keep pulling off the shelf – The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson.

I’ll be honest, it’s not a parenting book full of “shoulds” or complicated jargon. It’s the kind of book you read with a cuppa and think, Ohhh… that makes sense now.

My favourite line?“Instead of ignoring the downstairs brain or dismissing it, we need to connect with it.”

That one stuck with me.

Because when a child is melting down, or just clinging to you with those big sad eyes, it’s easy to think they need to “snap out of it.” But what this book reminds us is—they’re not being difficult, they’re just in their “downstairs brain” (the part that panics and yells and cries when life feels scary).

What helps most isn’t telling them to be brave or calm down. It’s slowing down enough to connect.

We use this all the time in our visits. If a child walks in looking unsure, we don’t rush the moment. We stop, we sit, we connect. And every time, you see it—the little exhale, the tension easing from their shoulders.

This book isn’t just clever. It’s hopeful. It says to every parent (and every worker like me): those little moments of connection?

They add up. They matter.

You can buy this book here from Booktopia or if you are currently a parent usig our Service, email me to borrow one of our copies. Your contact worker will bring it to your next scheduled visit.

Jakki