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Mindful Parenting: Simple and Powerful Solutions for Raising Creative, Engaged, Happy Kids in Today’s Hectic World
A mindful approach to parenting that helps children (and their parents) feel happier, healthier, calmer, and less stressed in our frenetic era
Rooted in the science of the brain, and integrating cognitive neuroscience and child development, Mindful Parenting is a unique program that speaks directly to today’s busy families who make up what Dr. Race calls "Generation Stress." Research has shown that mindfulness practices stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Regular stimulation of this part of the brain helps us feel happier, healthier, calmer, less anxious, less stressed, and makes it easier for us to concentrate and think clearly—the very behavior we are hoping our children will display.
Dr. Race provides:
An explanation of the way the brain works and why parents and kids today are more stressed, anxious, and angry than ever before
Practical solutions to the problem: Things parents can do to change brain patterns and create a more relaxed and happier home
"Brain Coolers": Quick tips that can be used in the moment to help families relax, recharge, and create happiness (such as "The Three Breath Hug")
Mindful Parenting understands the realities of raising a family in our fast paced and often-frenetic world and provides hundreds of easy-to-implement solutions, both for parents and their children, to help them manage stress, create peace, and live happier lives.
Rooted in the science of the brain, and integrating cognitive neuroscience and child development, Mindful Parenting is a unique program that speaks directly to today’s busy families who make up what Dr. Race calls "Generation Stress." Research has shown that mindfulness practices stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Regular stimulation of this part of the brain helps us feel happier, healthier, calmer, less anxious, less stressed, and makes it easier for us to concentrate and think clearly—the very behavior we are hoping our children will display.
Dr. Race provides:
An explanation of the way the brain works and why parents and kids today are more stressed, anxious, and angry than ever before
Practical solutions to the problem: Things parents can do to change brain patterns and create a more relaxed and happier home
"Brain Coolers": Quick tips that can be used in the moment to help families relax, recharge, and create happiness (such as "The Three Breath Hug")
Mindful Parenting understands the realities of raising a family in our fast paced and often-frenetic world and provides hundreds of easy-to-implement solutions, both for parents and their children, to help them manage stress, create peace, and live happier lives.
272 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2013
80 people are currently reading
611 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 23, 2014
No, I'm not a parent, but I'm teaching a mindfulness class to my students, and this is the first book I've read on the subject of mindfulness and children to prepare for that.
This book started off incredibly strong; you can really recognize Dr. Race's science background. The first few chapters are set up to explain how our brains are wired for stress, including data and research. Race keeps it basic, but informative, and I felt like I had a good handle on basic brain function without feeling condescended to. All of the info she includes is rather alarming - the "children and TV" studies freaked me out, to be honest, and if I do ever have kids, I'm hiding the TV under some sort of rug until they go to bed and I can watch "Real Housewives."
I should say that none of what she discusses is stated in an uppity tone - there is certainly no judgment here. The first part of the book is all about identifying common problems in modern families, and easily makes connections to the different ways in which we live our lives from previous generations. She includes some lovely, simple charts to illustrate our busy-ness, stress levels, etc., as well as including sample work sheets in order to figure out what in your life is external stress, vs. internal, and how to address it. All in all, Mindful Parenting starts out great.
About halfway through the book, I was wondering when the "mindfulness" was going to come in, meaning actual exercises one could do every day, or do with their kids, which would help with the problems the first half of the book described. When Race gets to the mindfulness exercises, that's when the book becomes much more muddled. All of the information she laid out so succinctly in the first part of the book is now repeated ad infinitum with, I must say, a much more alarmist tone. Whereas it felt all science-y and open at the start, the second part of the book made me feel like all of our teenagers' brains were melting before our very eyes and WE MUST DO SOMETHING NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW.
. . . Anyway.
It may have just been the repetitiveness that made it feel alarmist. Every benefit of mindfulness is restated in the context of a "negative" thing discussed in the beginning. It just seemed to be beating a dead horse; obviously I think mindfulness has SOME benefit if I picked up this book. The tone became a bit desperate at times trying to link mindfulness as the cure-all for everything from obesity to self-esteem to drug use to risky behavior. My opinion was dropping fast as I read, getting a bit more bored, skimming, and at times even a bit irritated.
I finally rested in my disappointment when I saw the exercises. Most of them are sort of silly or would take about 30 seconds. For example, she uses "teach your children table manners" as a mindfulness exercise. Well, okay. I mean, the point of mindfulness is that *anything* can be done mindfully, and while she does mention that at times and encourages readers to take a few moments out to really "see" or "hear" the world around them, splitting up obvious things and turning them into "mindful exercises" seems a bit cheap to me. Another exercise was "loosen your tongue and jaw." Good advice, I guess, but I don't think it needed its own entry.
Of course they weren't all "bad" - I really liked "Rose, Bud, Thorn" as well as the idea of eating in silence the first full minute of a meal. It just seems that a lot of the advice (aside from the background info which provided the bulk of the book and was quite good) could be found in any modern parenting guide: Less TV, put your phone down when talking to your kid, teach table manners, teach empathy, praise the effort, not the outcome, etc.
Dr. Race is extremely knowledgable and skilled in mindfulness and mindfulness training, but I have this sneaking suspicion that she's not quite giving away all of her secrets - and I don't blame her, she runs workshops and speaks all over the country, doing exercises with kids, parents, and teachers. And, honestly, as a beginning guide to mindfulness, if you're a parent with absolutely no idea where to begin, this would be great. Even teachers can get a few nuggets in there. But I wouldn't pick it up if you've already had some experience/research in the subject. And speaking as a teacher, there are a lot of full, complex books of mindfulness lessons and exercises, which are not really present here.
This book started off incredibly strong; you can really recognize Dr. Race's science background. The first few chapters are set up to explain how our brains are wired for stress, including data and research. Race keeps it basic, but informative, and I felt like I had a good handle on basic brain function without feeling condescended to. All of the info she includes is rather alarming - the "children and TV" studies freaked me out, to be honest, and if I do ever have kids, I'm hiding the TV under some sort of rug until they go to bed and I can watch "Real Housewives."
I should say that none of what she discusses is stated in an uppity tone - there is certainly no judgment here. The first part of the book is all about identifying common problems in modern families, and easily makes connections to the different ways in which we live our lives from previous generations. She includes some lovely, simple charts to illustrate our busy-ness, stress levels, etc., as well as including sample work sheets in order to figure out what in your life is external stress, vs. internal, and how to address it. All in all, Mindful Parenting starts out great.
About halfway through the book, I was wondering when the "mindfulness" was going to come in, meaning actual exercises one could do every day, or do with their kids, which would help with the problems the first half of the book described. When Race gets to the mindfulness exercises, that's when the book becomes much more muddled. All of the information she laid out so succinctly in the first part of the book is now repeated ad infinitum with, I must say, a much more alarmist tone. Whereas it felt all science-y and open at the start, the second part of the book made me feel like all of our teenagers' brains were melting before our very eyes and WE MUST DO SOMETHING NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW.
. . . Anyway.
It may have just been the repetitiveness that made it feel alarmist. Every benefit of mindfulness is restated in the context of a "negative" thing discussed in the beginning. It just seemed to be beating a dead horse; obviously I think mindfulness has SOME benefit if I picked up this book. The tone became a bit desperate at times trying to link mindfulness as the cure-all for everything from obesity to self-esteem to drug use to risky behavior. My opinion was dropping fast as I read, getting a bit more bored, skimming, and at times even a bit irritated.
I finally rested in my disappointment when I saw the exercises. Most of them are sort of silly or would take about 30 seconds. For example, she uses "teach your children table manners" as a mindfulness exercise. Well, okay. I mean, the point of mindfulness is that *anything* can be done mindfully, and while she does mention that at times and encourages readers to take a few moments out to really "see" or "hear" the world around them, splitting up obvious things and turning them into "mindful exercises" seems a bit cheap to me. Another exercise was "loosen your tongue and jaw." Good advice, I guess, but I don't think it needed its own entry.
Of course they weren't all "bad" - I really liked "Rose, Bud, Thorn" as well as the idea of eating in silence the first full minute of a meal. It just seems that a lot of the advice (aside from the background info which provided the bulk of the book and was quite good) could be found in any modern parenting guide: Less TV, put your phone down when talking to your kid, teach table manners, teach empathy, praise the effort, not the outcome, etc.
Dr. Race is extremely knowledgable and skilled in mindfulness and mindfulness training, but I have this sneaking suspicion that she's not quite giving away all of her secrets - and I don't blame her, she runs workshops and speaks all over the country, doing exercises with kids, parents, and teachers. And, honestly, as a beginning guide to mindfulness, if you're a parent with absolutely no idea where to begin, this would be great. Even teachers can get a few nuggets in there. But I wouldn't pick it up if you've already had some experience/research in the subject. And speaking as a teacher, there are a lot of full, complex books of mindfulness lessons and exercises, which are not really present here.
April 23, 2025
It’s been a while since I have read a parenting book cover-to-cover but this was a fantastic read recommended by my therapist and a book that I intend to come back to time and time again. While no parenting ideology is completely perfect this book was great from a parent as a person perspective as well as parent as a leader/formation of a child.
September 6, 2014
Great parenting book with a lot of tips for the adults as well. I found myself very taken aback thinking about the kind of technology driven and overstimulating world my kids will grow up in. Give a lot of insight on how to weave mindfulness into everyday and help kids manage energy and stress.
March 6, 2020
One of the greatest things about this book is that it completely aligned with pretty much all my ideas and feelings about parenting. It was very helpful to be refocused on the things I feel are important in raising children, especially in this busy stage of life where it's so easy to lose sight of so much for the sake of time and convenience. The author does a great job at keeping the book appropriate for every stage of childhood, although it seemed a bit obvious to me that she didn't have a tween/teen yet. Still, I feel like I walked away with some great reminders as well as new tips to use. I did get a little bored in the middle (when a ton of mindfulness examples were listed and described) and I still don't feel like I have a great plan to make my kids want to try meditation, but it was nice knowing there are many other things that I do and can do to encourage mindfulness without meditation. It was definitely one of the better parenting books I've read lately.
April 2, 2023
2.5 stars and that's only because I think the last 1/4 of the book is 3.5 stars. I really had to push myself through this one, the first 3/4 seemed extremely preachy and self promoting. It was all about not giving your kids screens and not signing them up for organized sports.... For almost the whole book. It was only the last quarter that there were tips on helping your children, and yourself regulate stress more. I appreciated the tips but could have done without her telling me to go on her website every page.
I think there are plenty of other parenting books that are more worth your time so I probably wouldn't recommend it. That being said if you are going to read it I think an actual hard copy would land a bit better than listening to this one.
I think there are plenty of other parenting books that are more worth your time so I probably wouldn't recommend it. That being said if you are going to read it I think an actual hard copy would land a bit better than listening to this one.
January 20, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. Not only did I learn helpful parenting tips, I also learned some amazing things to apply to my own life. Also, after implementing the bedtime routine tips, my nights instantly become so much better! Every parent should read this book, and every person should implement mindfulness into their everyday life.
June 17, 2025
"Rose, Bud, Thorn" has been a game-changer for our fam :)
January 13, 2015
“Mindful Parenting” is positive and optimistic, with practical advice for parents of children of different age groups. The book is organized into 3 sections: recognizing stress’ harmful effects on the body, minimizing hidden stresses, and practicing mindfulness. Each chapter talks about brain chemistry and the science behind stress and mindfulness, as well as mindfulness tips and techniques. Race assures us that we all make parenting mistakes, and that we don’t have to practice all these mindful activities – we should try a few and use the ones that work for us. I would have liked to read some scenarios of how we can encourage kids to talk to us, and also tips for blended families or situations where parents might share custody, because that changes family dynamics. Parents might not be the primary caregivers.
October 23, 2015
3.25 stars. I had a whole emotional arc with this book:
* I never would have picked it up if it weren't recommended by a friend
* Then I was surprisingly impressed by the first couple of chapters
* Then bored/eye rolling at a big chunk of the middle
* Then some of the exercises at the end weren't bad
Wish it had stayed with the tone/approach of the first couple of chapters.
* I never would have picked it up if it weren't recommended by a friend
* Then I was surprisingly impressed by the first couple of chapters
* Then bored/eye rolling at a big chunk of the middle
* Then some of the exercises at the end weren't bad
Wish it had stayed with the tone/approach of the first couple of chapters.
March 24, 2014
This book has a lot of good reminders for me...I need to do a better job of teaching my children how to handle and cope with stress in their lives! I actually used this for a family night discussion and hope to implement a few if her ideas.
Currently reading
January 10, 2014Just saw author at Tattered Cover--great scientific knowledge and practical advice.
August 31, 2014
WELL worth the read. So much so that I have purchased my own copy.
November 19, 2014
Loved it! Well written. Easy to read and full of great suggestions for both parents and educators. Happily surprised by the quality of this book.
December 28, 2014
One of the VERY BEST parenting books I have EVER read. This is my gift to all new or repeat parents in my life. Cannot recommend highly enough!!!
September 26, 2014
Gives great ideas and examples on situations. Very helpful especially with children with OCD.
Read
December 10, 2014Couldn't finish because I have bigger fish to fry as a parent. It's probably a lovely book.
March 1, 2019
I love seeing some scientific data about the effects of technology on kids’ stress levels, but my fav part of this book were the mindful exercise at the end.
I will say, I think the screen time projections may be a little skewed. It’s possible for kids to spend time interacting with screens in a manner that’s educational or peaceful. Screen time isn’t inherently bad. Mr. Rogers and reading apps, for example, can actually be positive screen time that doesn’t cause brains to feel stress. In my house, for example, we use a meditation app to play nature sounds when we have quiet time.
I will say, I think the screen time projections may be a little skewed. It’s possible for kids to spend time interacting with screens in a manner that’s educational or peaceful. Screen time isn’t inherently bad. Mr. Rogers and reading apps, for example, can actually be positive screen time that doesn’t cause brains to feel stress. In my house, for example, we use a meditation app to play nature sounds when we have quiet time.
June 18, 2019
This book offers insight to our overstimulated, overwhelmed lives. It is filled with active suggestions for lowering stress and improving the mindfulness in our lives. It includes plenty of simple explanations for what is happening in our brains when we are stressed as well.
An easy to understand book that goes in depth into our minds under stress without ever getting too complicated or confusing. Organized very well with action items for improvement to select from.
An easy to understand book that goes in depth into our minds under stress without ever getting too complicated or confusing. Organized very well with action items for improvement to select from.
May 13, 2024
Great parenting book for working mothers. What i love most about this book is that Kristen explain about how children’s brain work in simple ways, not too theoretical and scientific methods and she outlined practical solutions for parents to navigate our everyday life and challenging days with our kids. I can relate most of the matters discussed in this book.
December 1, 2017
This was important for me to read at this point in my life... It has been good for me, my wife, and our kids. Not saying it is the answer but provides some great ideas for cultivating peace and resilience in the home.
October 6, 2018
This is an excellent overview on the concept of mindfulness. Especially as it relates to parenting. Very practical and easy to read. I would recommend this if you are exploring this topic or just trying to understand mental health and how our brains work.
January 21, 2023
Lots of good advice, but I kept feeling like I was reading “mindfulness (TM).” Also there was some outright bad advice - do not surveil your teens! Build connection, not mistrust and suspicion. Still, plenty of good practice ideas in here, and it was well-written and well-paced.
October 22, 2017
Practical thoughts, advice, and research to show how you can be more mindful and help grow mindful kids. Awesome easy read.
December 18, 2017
Useful tips for how to "un-connect" in a digital world for parents and some useful insights about how the brain functions when being online and how this might harm your child (and you as parent).
January 1, 2018
My new favorite parenting book! What a great book to end the year with!!
November 9, 2018
I basically skimmed this. It's a fine book for upper class parents who worry too much.
April 21, 2020
Loved it! It's to the point and has practical solutions that you can easily implement within 24 hours.
January 10, 2024
Good, Buddhist inspired tips on how to be better present, not just with your kids but also just in life, especially with respect to modern technology and the cult of being busy.
March 5, 2017
Interesting book, with some good suggestions. I was a bit turned off by the suggestion of the widely discredited and scientifically disproven book "Babywise" for infant sleep (though the author admits that baby sleep isn't her area of expertise). Overall, some great suggestions for promoting mindfulness in the crazy world of parenting, with the science to back up her techniques.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews