Book Review: 4/5 Impact On Me (Book By Daniel J. Siegel)
Read more about the book here
I read this 3 times. Initially, I grasped less because of work stress. Also, some concepts overlapped with other books I've read, so I had to re-read to find incremental new insights.
The book promised to teach age-appropriate tactics, but I couldn't find that value.
I appreciated the discussion on educating children about the right and left brain functions. I tried it a bit. It didn't work, but I will try again as a more extended discussion. I had reservations about using closed vs. open fist imagery, fearing my 4-year-old might see it as a cue for punching.
The book offered stories of parents who effectively connected emotionally with their children, enhancing the children's rational thinking and memory skills. However, these narratives often seemed too ideal. They contrasted with my challenges in implementing strategies similar to this at home. Despite correctly applying empathy, redirection, and boundary-setting techniques, I sometimes face difficulties, resulting in a tantrum from my kid.
I plan to use calm time or activity time with my son to recollect our experiences through stories. When he gets hurt, I used to recount just the incident. Now, I will also recount the story before and after. I will emphasize the positive moments before and after, focusing on joy and recovery. My son was reluctant to attend daycare some days this month. So, I want to use this book's insights to explore the reasons. I haven't succeeded yet, but I'll try more. The HALT acronym—hungry, angry, lonely, tired—has been helpful in understanding his needs. I understand I wouldn't get left-brian rational behavior when he is going through such situations, but I still should prevent harmful behaviors.
This book's impact on me is 4 out of 5. It complements other favorites in my parenting library, including 'Good Inside,' 'No Drama Discipline,' 'No Bad Kids,' and 'How to Talk So Kids Will Listen.'