Overcoming Parental Anxiety: Rewire Your Brain to Worry Less and Enjoy Parenting More

by Debra Kissen, Micah Ioffe, Hannah Romain

Be the calm and collected parent you aspire to be with this powerful, neuroscience-based guide.

Do you worry about your child all the time? Maybe they are behind on certain milestones, struggling in school, having difficulty making friends, or heading off to college and away from home for the first time. Their problems or struggles become your own, and you end up feeling so anxious that you forget what it’s like to just enjoy being their parent. The good news is that you can rewire your “parent brain” to respond differently to these challenges. This book will show you how to replace parental anxiety with parental effectiveness.

In Overcoming Parental Anxiety, three anxiety specialists team up to help you change your anxious brain using the core principles of neuroscience and exercises from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness. You’ll learn how to overcome worry by identifying your parental values, paying attention to the moment, and cultivating self-compassion.  Most importantly, you’ll find targeted exercises to help minimize parenting related worry and anxiety, so you can live more fully and enjoy the shared experiences you have with your children.

Thanks to the brain’s lifelong ability to create new neural connections, you can achieve that coveted and elusive sense of calm that seems to come so easily to some parents. And by practicing the simple neuroscience-based skills in this book, you can overcome your parental anxiety, stress less, and be more present with your kids. Why not get started now?

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Self Help, Mental Health, Family

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2022

Reviews

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found parts that I felt like could help me and skimmed the rest. I feel like this could help a lot of parents. The one part I really needed to read was the parental control part towards the end. I tend to strike fear in my kids to bring awareness to how the world really is and keep this safe but in return it makes their anxiety worse and they worry more. My dad was that way with me and I feel like I do that with them. I need to be more mindful of how I word things and let them make their own mistakes. It’s going to be a learning process that’s for sure. I don’t want my kids to ever feel like I’m controlling their every move. That was never my intention but looking back at it I definitely have been guilty of it. This book helped me see that. I talked to my husband about it too! Definitely worth the read if you struggle with this as well.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this are really repetitive, and even though that makes it feasible for parents to just read the chapters that most apply to them, this could have been streamlined and a lot shorter. Also, I was disappointed that this book didn't address intrusive thoughts as a source of anxiety. This was just about normal stuff like worrying about your kid's social life and struggling with perfectionism.

People who are dealing with garden variety anxiety will find this helpful, but if someone is tormented by constant loops of intrusive thoughts and/or irrational fears that they will harm their child, they'll find the examples totally out of touch with their experience even when the general principles still apply. There should have been at least one chapter dealing with more extreme and unusual forms of parental anxiety.

[Stephanie Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for what it was. I didn’t have the workbook because I listened to the audiobook so that was a massive downside. Had I had the workbook I think this would have changed my three stars to four. This book really makes you think about how you’re navigating parenting but also yourself and your choices. As someone who struggles deeply with anxiety I found this book to be a good read and a good reminder to not let it consume your life. I think if I ever saw this book physically I would buy it. I would like to do the workbook stuff as well as be able to go back on certain chapters and highlight bits that pertain specifically to my life, parenting and personal anxiety.

[Baltina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must-have for any parent and parent like support role. A wealth of knowledge to help not only navigate the anxieties of modern parenting but to help improve mental health & live happier. It is full of great strategies, advice, and easy to implement ideas. A keeper on my parenting toolbox. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read in advance.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with practical advice...

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely relatable! It’s one of the best books I’ve read in anxiety in general. I really believe it will help me be a better parent and help my anxiety overall.

[Huda Abdelaziz · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب التغلب على قلق التربية

كتاب قيم جدا ومهم لأى شخص بيعاني من القلق والتوتر ، خاصة إذا كان مربي و سط أطفال ، القلق في عمليه التربيه بيكون ليه أثار سلبية وكارثية أحيانا كما أن وجودة ضروري في بعض الأحيان
الفكره هي عمليه التوازن علي إعاده برمجة عقلك حول القلق والتوتر.

الكتاب بيعرض مجموعه من الفصول المهمه جدا
في استعراض القلق بشكل عام وأثره في عملية التربية ،
تربيتك لنفسك أو آثار من نشاتك وتربيتك في الماضي وتربيتك لأبنائك في المستقبل .
إن حرفيا ممكن الآباء والأبناء يدورا في حلقه مفرغه من التكرار فيما يخص القلق والتوتر.

بيعرض الكتاب الموضوع في فصول مواضيع مهمه جدا مثل :
ـ حالة الدماغ عند التربية
- قوه التعاطف مع الذات بالنسبه للأباء
- اختيار الواقعية بدل من التهويل أي التعامل بشكل واقعي
ـ هبه وجودك
ـ التحرر من الماضي
ـ البحث عن الهدوء
ـالتخلي عن السيطرة
- قدرتك علي معايشة قيمك
ـ التفكر في عمليه تربية غير مثالية
ـ المحافظة على مكتسباتك خلال الرحلة و التقليل من الخسائر الناتجة عن القلق والتوتر

كل هذا في اطار بيشرح بشكل عملي ونظري وتمارين وتدريبات ان الشخص يقدر يعمله بشكل فعلي علب ( إعاده برمجه دماغك ) حرفيا ، و تحد من التوتر والقلق وتزود استمتاعك بالحياه وبعملية التربيه اللي في اعتقادي أساسها نفسك ثم تربيتك لابنائك.

في تمارين وتدريبات بتعرض مشكله ما وبتعطيك الحلول اللي تقدر تحاول تسيطر بيها على القلق والتوتر في نفس المشكله او بشكل عام ، وبيعرض امثله من المخاوف والمشاكل والهموم اللي ممكن تكون عائق في عمليه التربيه في حاله وجودها وفي حاله انعدامها
وندره التربيه او التربيه المفرطه في أمثلة لكل اشكالها الايجابيه والسلبية .

كتاب التغلب على قلق التربية مثير جدا للاهتمام
كتاب لا يقرأ مرة واحدة وكتاب مهم جدا للأباء والمربيين.


أحببت هذا الكتاب جدا وان كان في بعض التمارين والاجزاء المقرره في كل فصل نتيجه اننا بنتعامل مع مشكله كبيره مثل القلق والتوتر وليها اوجه كثيره جدا خلال المراحل المختلفه والتجارب المختلفه فتفهمت التكرار وان كان ممكن يشعر القارئ بالملل
افضل طريقه قراءه كل فصل على حاجه وتطبيق كل التمارين والتدريبات والافكار الموجوده فيه والعمل عليها بشكل عملي وتفاعلي .

وهشارك أفضل أقتباس حبيته جدا
( المرونة العصبية وقدرتك على إعادة برمجة الدماغ
تسمى قدرة دماغك على التكيف وإعادة برمجة نفسها بالمرونة العصبية. ففي كل مرة تفكر في فكرة ما أو تنخرط في سلوك ما، فإنك تغير الروابط بين الخلايا العصبية في دماغك، ومع كل فعل تقوم به تعيد برمجة دماغك حتى يختبر روابط أقوى في بعض المناطق وروابط أضعف في مناطق أخرى. ومع التكرار، يمكنك تقوية الروابط بين الخلايا العصبية المرتبطة بأفكار وسلوكيات وحالات مزاجية معينة؛ لذا كلما زاد عدد مرات انخراطك في أنماط تفكير وسلوكيات معينة زادت احتمالية تفكيرك وتصرفك بالطريقة نفسها في المستقبل. إذا فعندما نقول "إعادة برمجة دماغك" فنحن نعني كل ما تحمله الجملة من معنى )
الكتاب كان هدية جميلة من دار بيت الكتب واللي يستحق جدا القراءة

#بيت_الكتب_للنشر
#كتب_انصح_بها

[Megan Parrish · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot imagine a single person that "should" read this book. However, if you feel you must, then please skip to the end section titled "When You Deserve More Support" and read it before anything else. And if there are any "quizzes" or "exercises" that don't feel right to complete, do not do them. Deciding if this book is for you? Here is a paraphrased example exercise from it: "think of a specific moment in your childhood that was particularly painful, the way it looked, sounded, felt. Write a brief story outlining the events of this painful experience. Now record yourself reading that story out loud. Play it back and listen to yourself read it and write down how the different steps of this process made you feel."

If you are struggling with perfectionism as a parent, I would avoid this book, it is full of tests, homework, progress reports, and everything else that will only fuel that anxious productivity fire. Struggling with feeling like you aren't good enough? Maybe don't take a bunch of nonsense quizzes to put a test score on that feeling.

The only useful information I saw in this book is scattered and absolutely not worth going through the entire book to learn. 1) Your thoughts are connected to brain wiring & with repeated exposure to new experiences it can be rewired. 2) Best research-based ways to rewire your brain: cognitive behavioral therapy (which includes exposure therapy) and mindfulness training. Skip this book and read better ones on those two things, or best of all, seek a mental health provider trained in CBT.

[WendyLikesBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It me" as the kids say. Gah, it's me, this book is me! I related to so much of this book. The examples, the worries, the fears, the helicopter parenting, the what ifs … all of it is me.

OVERCOMING PARENTAL ANXIETY is an interesting book in that the authors give you realistic examples in which I'm sure most parents have found themselves in at one time or another. They then give you solutions to help.

As my child gets older I find we are still having the same arguments that when I peel back the layers I see I'm trying to control too much. I am constantly trying to protect my child from mistakes to the point of "nagging."

I come from a place of meaning well, but now that she is a tween, it's a groundhog day situation - same story, same arguments, relive it the next day again and again.

The book gives a lot of exercises for parents to examine their own feelings about certain issues in parenting. There's also practical solutions such as taking time to breathe and calm down before falling into the rabbit hole of arguing for hours.

I think some of the journal exercises, while helpful, may take too long for most parents. The journal exercises are very detailed which will be tough for some parents to complete - particularly those with multiple kids and only a certain amount of "free" time.

Thank you to NetGalley and New Harbinger Publications for an e-copy of OVERCOMING PARENTAL ANXIETY to review.

I rate OVERCOMING PARENTAL ANXIETY four out of five stars.

[Oana Lambrache · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Anxietatea parentală" este un ghid dedicat părinților care devin anxioși de câte ori copilul lor întâmpină greutăți, probleme și tind să le rezolve ei înșiși pentru a menține liniște în familie, fără frustrări, fără nervi, fără furie. Din păcate, această abordare, deși pare normală și benefică, este, de fapt, ineficientă deoarece un copil are nevoie de o oaletă largă de stări și emoții, de momente de frustrare pentru a putea învăța, pentru a găsi soluții și pentru a se dezvolta corespunzător.

Știu, furia este bună?! Surprinzător, da! Deși nu ne place, ne incomodează, ne apasă butoane și ne stârnește furie și nouă sau stări neplăcute. Și astfel învățăm și noi despre ce ne declanșează diverse trăiri, cum le putem accepta/controla, dar și cum să le schimbăm în orice moment pentru a obține liniștea și calmul.

Vă recomand să luați lângă voi o agendă sau un caiet și ceva de scris, pentru că veți găsi multe exerciții practice, întrebări la care să oferiți răspunsuri, dar și prin intermediul cărora să vă reconfigurați creierul și modul de a gândi astfel încât să vă puteți (re)conecta cu copiii voștri chiar și în cele mai dificle clipe.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I gained so much valuable information and anxiety-reducing tools in every single chapter. Everything is explained in a very clear and concise manner (well-written “dummied down” versions of medical terms and processes involving different parts of the brain). I wrote several pages worth of notes for future reference. This book actually gave me a sense of control over my anxiety and let me know I’m not alone as an anxious parent! Very, very useful for any parent wanting to reduce their anxiety not just with raising children but anxiety in life in general.

[Megan Jacobsmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a new parent to teenagers who often wakes up in the middle of the night worring about my kids, I found this book to be extremely helpful. It’s one that I wish bought myself rather than reading a library borrowed ebook. It would be great to revisit sections with ease and write in the actual book. It felt in part like a CBT workbook. It is structured and flexible. Solutions based and compassionate.

[Tiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you New Harbinger Publications for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This story helps parents to overcome their anxiety over parenting. I thought this book gave a lot of great tips and advice to help parents to become more calm and aware of their emotions. Each chapter covers a different part of parenting that could be stressful. There are additional resources on a website that readers can also reference. As someone who has anxious tendencies I thought this was a great resource to prepare to some day be a parent. It brought to light some things that I can keep working on to not worry so much about future children

Read if you enjoy:
Nonfiction
Helpful Reads
Parenting books

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK IS LITERALLY ME
I think that’s why I enjoyed it so much and felt that it was helpful, the authors must have read my mind to make this book.
It’s meant to be read while taking notes and practicing helpful skills for a few weeks while reading. Not all of the skills were that applicable, but all of the information was so good to hear, even if only because it validating.

[Kathryn Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overcoming Parental Anxiety is full of good tips. Its textbook-like in that there are situational examples and questions throughout the book. Its an interesting and helpful read. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

[oohlalabooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a comfort to read, it reminds the reader to take a breath. Parents will always worry about their kids, its to find a balance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

[Erin]

Maybe the advice is good, but I couldn’t get past the line: “making you a more effective parent, better able to raise a more effective child.”

[Jennifer J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful book with great exercises to practice to get out of different aspects of anxiety. I bought the book so I could reference the exercises at my own pace.

[Joni Owens]

Very helpful. While I don’t know if I agreed with everything in this book, I was able to find a ton of helpful information and ideas.

[Literate Duck · Rating 3 out of 5]

some valuable ideas, but not a lot

[Julie Abbott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful. Good advice for lots of aspects.

[Huda Abdelazizz · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب قيم ومهم جدا