“When we know our kids in a direct and truthful way, they learn to know themselves that way, too.”

The Power of Showing Up is the fourth in the quartet of parenting books by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson.

First things first. I was excited to get my hands on an advance review copy of this book because I have two other books written by this duo and they are top-notch. I’ve read a lot of parenting books but these are the ones that have stayed with me through my entire parenting journey thus far.

TPoSU is about how to create a secure attachment for your child(ren). This is already something I’ve been obsessed with for far longer than I’ve had children. I believe my secure attachment has made an enormous difference in my life and I hope to be able to give the same gift to my children. So this book couldn’t be more timely.

While TPoSU is a parenting book, so much of how we parent depends on how we were parented. Hence, this book has a significant focus on reflecting on the reader’s own attachment style and finding a way to not just understand it but come to terms with it in order to be there for the next generation. This is something that will impact not just parent-child relations but every significant relationship in your life.

Look, we all know people with issues and often time they fit neatly in the avoidant or anxious attachment styles. That’s just life and it’s not fair to judge them for how they were raised. This book provides, for a motivated person, a way to start healing wounds from childhood.

(Side note: Thrilled about Dan’s “attachment” to UCLA. Go Bruins!!!!)

This is an excellent book that I plan to give to several couples I know who are expecting their first child.

We all want to become better parents for our children and yet our children did not come with a HOW TO or a book of instructions. Fear not, because this book lays it out in a very clear, no fluff, and easy to read book outlining in an easy to remember guide full of examples and scenarios.
It is no surprise the success of our children is dependent on how present we are for them and will actually serve as a predictor for their success in life as far as their personal and academic success, the development of their leadership skills and their future relationships with others. Being present does not have to cost a lot of time, money or energy, but to showing up and being there in the moment, and the quality of your presence makes all the difference.
The information Siegel and Bryson present in this book are backed up by science and well-grounded and proven research. I fell that the information in the book is something that I can trust as far as the validity of the information they are presenting.
I enjoy the highlights and pictures in the book to emphasize the topics that are being presented and reinforces the material covered. I also enjoy the real life scenarios and examples on how to handle situations you may encounter from a bad example to the best way to handle certain situations. The writing is easy to understand and the information presented is enjoyable and makes for an easy read.
I loved this book and will be using it as a resource. This is a must read for would be and current parents and grandparents as well as educators. I highly recommend this book and would make great gifts for parents.

When I saw that authors Siegel and Bryson were releasing a new parenting book, I couldn't request The Power of Showing Up fast enough! Their past writing has been such a formative part of my own parenting.

Siegel and Bryson always share their knowledge, research, and experiences in an accessible and compassionate way. While they have decades of work in this area they make brain development and psychology approachable and easy to understand have the ability to write in a way that makes you feel heard while also empowering you with new tools and ideas. 

The Power of Showing Up is another wonderful addition to their collection of books that speak to you whether you are a parent, caregiver, teacher, etc. They take on attachment theory and share the powerful reminder that the most important thing we can do for our children and to be there for them.

Doing this, we can teach and show them the value of comfort, support and unconditional love through both the highs and lows of being humans. They explain how we can do this through the idea of the "Four S's"...being seen, safe, soothed and secure.

As a person who experienced insecure attachment as a child, I often hyper-focus on our children always knowing they are heard and loved, while also dealing with the reality that parenting is never-ending and sometimes I lose my cool.

The reality is, everyone makes mistakes, and it is what we do next that is far more important. While I know this in theory, having it presented in an insightful and accessible manner is something I will always remember. I could go on and on about this book but I will just say that I highly recommend it and got so much out of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so glad I read this book. It was illuminating to me both as a daughter and as a mother. My children are young adults now (18 and 19), and I found myself wishing I had known this information when they were young. The concepts are still pertinent, though, and I will be looking for opportunities to continue to "show up" for my kids, even at this stage.

As a teacher, though, I found my mind continually drifting to classroom applications. After reading this, I felt like I better understood my students and the difficulties they face, and most importantly, I have new ideas for interventions. The book relies on data, and both the data and the science was shared clearly and accessibly. I will definitely keep chewing on this info. I feel like I got real, actionable info from this book and I definitely recommend it.

I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion, which I am always happy to give. My thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity! #NetGalley #ThePowerOfShowingUp

A child's happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships are determined primarily by their connection to at least one caring adult. "The Power Of Showing Up" helps adults discover how to be that one adult who is present with and for their children.
In the book, authors Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson discuss four S's that are essential for every child. Children must feel safe, seen, soothed, and secure. The chapters share stories, scripts, simple strategies, illustrations, and tips parents can use to give their children the four S's.
It's true that parents and caregivers may mess up and not be present. This book also reveals how to repair mistakes and become an adult who shows up.
I appreciated much of the insight in this book. It's easy to read, and the information is interesting for the most part. However, the beginning chapters are repetitive and frequently reference other books written by the authors, which I found annoying. I also wanted a bit more meat about how to show up rather than just information about why we should show up.
Overall, "The Power of Showing Up" is a helpful book for any adult with a child in their life. It provides a good introduction to why and how we can be present for and invest in our children.

I absolutely loved the whole-brain child and was excited to read this book by the same authors.

My top two takeaways from this book were 1) you don’t have to be a perfect parent. Just showing up and supporting your kid is what matters most. And 2) insights into how you were raised impacting how you parent. This is obvious but they actually explain it based on how the brain works which was fascinating.

The thing I love about these authors is that they make psychology and brain science approachable and explain it in a way for almost anyone to understand.

There were some really great insights, but overall I don’t think it resonated as deeply as the whole-brain child did for me. Also some sections felt a bit repetitive, and some of the blurbs and cartoons felt unnecessary.

I had this as an ARC from netgalley. This book looked interesting on a personal level and a career level.
It talks about the most important thing you can do for kids- showing up. There is some great info on what happens if no one showed up for you when you were younger and how to work through that so your future generations won’t have that same turmoil and insecure feelings.
This was good because they spelled out the more scientific areas, gave you a layman’s view but also directed you to where you could read more if you liked the science side of things.
Some of the info I felt like they repeated themselves. There were some great takeaways for my own children and the children I work with at school.
A great read to have another tool under your belt for helping kids and their emotions.

This book focuses on attachments and how simply showing up for your child allows you to build a foundation that allows for a successful relationship.

I am sad that parents need to be educated on such information, but sharing resources like this can only be beneficial to our children and their future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book clearly and concisely summarizes attachment theory for the lay person. Parents and teachers can benefit from understanding the information in the book and it is a great tool for mental health professionals to use to support their work with teachers and families.

The power of showing up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thank you to @life_well_read for suggesting this self help book and to netgalley for the advanced read. Who is hardest on a person as a parent? The parent themselves. I know I am. We all feel we never do the right thing, never try hard enough, and just are not perfect. This book tells you that you don’t need to be perfect, just be there for your child. Teach them the value of support and comfort, that even with mistakes a parents’s love will never waiver and always be there for them unconditionally. This is the best gift we can give children to help them grow into adults. For a self help book, I was surprised that it didn’t come off as preachy. A definite must read for all parents who are too hard on themselves

Wow. SO many parts of this book resonated with me and brought me to tears. I long suspected that I had an insecure ambivalent attachment style, due to the way I was raised and how my mother was with me. This book confirmed it and has renewed my intention to give my son a better life than what I had. Everyone should read this book, even if you dont have excessive amounts of childhood trauma.

Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson’s “The Power of Showing Up,” is a magnificent and astute text to help parents raise children who become secure-functioning adults. Their humor, wisdom, and down-to-earth writing will equip, empower, and encourage, all those who read their timely work. The ripple effects of such transformative information will be felt for decades and even centuries to come. I highly recommend this gem!

This is a book I would recommend all parents read. Your child doesn’t need fancy toys, the latest electronics or exotic trips. Your child need you!