The Parenting Puzzle. How to get the best out of family life.

Author – Candida Hunt

Age Range – 3-12+

This is a book for parents who want to think further about their parenting style. It provides information about techniques and ways of parenting that might lead to better relationships and reduced behavioural difficulties. It is based on a ten-week course that may be available to parents through the health or social care professionals working with them. The book is, however, a very useful resource on it’s own even without attending the group. Many of the principles would apply to parenting children or young people of any age group but might be particularly useful for school aged children.

The book covers various aspects of parenting rather than focusing on specific problem areas. The book focuses on positive parenting to enhance emotional well being and good self-esteem in children. It also provides parents with ideas about how they can enhance their own emotional well being.

The style and format of the book are easy to read. The chapters are relatively short and are broken down into specific ideas and tasks. There are plenty of illustrations and bullet point lists that make it easier to take in the information. It might not appeal to some parents as it does not tackle problem areas specifically. Using the principles in the book, however, may well have a positive impact on various specific emotional and behavioural difficulties by providing parents with ideas about how they can change the way they parent and thus impact on how their children feel, think and behave.