Good Inside

From Dr. Becky Kennedy, the psychologist known as the "Millennial Parenting Whisperer," comes a practical guide that offers a radical new approach to parenting.

Over the past several years, Dr. Rebecca Kennedy—known to her many followers as simply "Dr. Becky"—has been sparking a parenting revolution. Tired of advice that doesn't work or simply doesn't feel good to put into practice, hundreds of thousands of parents have been turning to Dr. Becky for her empowering, forgiving, and effective approach to parenting that meets parents exactly where they are—and gives them the tools to do better.

In Good Inside, Dr. Becky shares her popular philosophy and tools in a comprehensive resource designed to help parents move from frustration and self-blame to empowerment, confidence, and sturdy leadership. For decades, Dr. Becky suggests, parents have been sold a model of childrearing that simply doesn't work. From reward charts to time outs, the "evidence-based" incentives and punishments many experts recommend are based on shaping behavior, not raising humans. These techniques don't build the skills kids need for life and don't account for kids' complex emotional needs. Add to that the conditioning we've inherited from our own parents—which often discounts the validity of emotions altogether—and you end up with a generation of parents who feel lost, burned out, and worried they're failing their kids. 

In this ground-breaking book, Dr. Becky builds from the baseline of a radically simple but profound truth: You are good inside. Your kids are good inside. There are no "bad kids" or "bad parents"—there are only good kids having a hard time, and good parents struggling to do their jobs well. After diffusing blame and shame, she asks listeners to shift their focus from discipline to connection. Because the only way we can help our kids through tough times, suggests Dr. Becky, is to reinforce secure attachment. 

Part manifesto, part how-to guide, Good Inside is as focused on self-development as it is child development, since it's impossible for parents to meet their child's needs without first meeting their own. Filled with both perspective-shifting strategies as well as troubleshooting for specific scenarios—including sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, tantrums, rudeness and defiance, not listening, and more—Good Inside is a stand-alone resource for a generation of parents looking for a new way to raise their kids while still setting them up for a lifetime of resilience, confidence, and self-regulation.