When I'm Afraid (The Language of Parenting, 1) - Hardcover

An award-winning animator and a prominent psychologist team up on a new series of children's books and accompanying guides that help parents explain powerful emotions to their children.

Often children are overwhelmed by fear and need to be reassured that this emotion is a normal part of life. When I'm Afraid, one of the first books in the Language of Parenting series, explains this difficult subject in a completely original and practical way. Jane Aaron's boldly illustrated children's book features simple language and vivid images that capture a child's attention. Depicting kids in typical situations that evoke fear, the illustrations help children realize that others not only experience the same feelings, but find positive ways to cope with them.

Because it is difficult to talk to children about such abstract concepts as feelings, When I'm Afraid includes a guide for parents written by respected therapist Dr. Barbara Gardiner. A Parent's Guide to Fear shows parents how to use When I'm Afraid to interact with their children and conduct meaningful dialogue specific to the needs of children at different ages. Parents are asked to validate their child's feelings and share their own memories of being scared as a child as starting points for discussion. Dr. Gardiner pinpoints some common fears and how to resolve them, such as:

* sleeping alone
* making mistakes
* going to the doctor

Dr. Gardiner's Language of Parenting is based on the fundamental ABCs of parenting: acknowledging a child's feelings (listening and accepting fears), having age-appropriate behavior expectations (recognizing that different fears will come up at different ages), and demonstrating consistency in parenting style (maintaining house rules such as having the child sleep in his/her own bed). She emphasizes the importance of allowing children to generate their own solutions.

No other children's book about emotions is presented in such an instructive and creative package and involves parents so actively in the emotional development of their children.