Raising Happy Children

Author – Jan Parker and Jan Stimpson

Age Range – 0-11

Subtitled ‘What Every Child Needs Their Parents to Know’, this ambitious book tackles many complex and contentious issues facing parents. It is supportive, informative and honest and is unusual in bringing together the experience of parents, professionals and research.

The book covers a broad range of issues including: communication, sleep, feeding, gender issues, bereavement, divorce and stepfamilies, helping children talk and listen, self-esteem and coping with feelings and fears. It has a very useful index and is ideal as a general trouble-shooting text. A range of further reading and helpful organisations are recommended at the end. Although this book is fairly large with small print, it is well structured and information is presented in small chunks, interspersed with engaging anecdotes and discussion features.

Some parents may be frustrated at the lack of specific reference to diagnosis such as ADHD and autism and this appears to have been a deliberate decision by the authors. Instead they focus on the overarching aim of developing rewarding relationships within the family without shying away from real problems. This is an excellent resource, sensible, balanced and very useful.