The Secure Child: Helping Children Feel Safe and Confident in a Changing World - Hardcover

Greenspan, Stanley; Greenspan, Stanley I.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0738207500 ISBN 13: 9780738207506

Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2002

Synopsis

In the wake of the events of September 11th, families have drawn closer together, recognizing the comfort that can be drawn from those we treasure most. But how do we help children feel secure longterm? And how can we recognize the signs of distress or anxiety in their behavior that tell us that they need our help?In The Secure Child, Dr. Stanley Greenspan offers a set of guiding principles that will help parents of children at each age -- from preschoolers to teenagers -- both reassure and guide them so that they feel secure in their homes, their schools, and in their community at large. In addition. Greenspan illuminates the often subtle shifts in children's behavior that signal reaction to the current stress and fears and gives parents concrete suggestions to help children handle their anxieties and look to the future with confidence and optimism. From showing parents how to allow children to talk about their feelings to giving them concrete ways to contribute to national healing efforts, this profoundly wise book will help families everywhere move towards the common goal of a more stable and secure future.

About this title

About the Author

Stanley I. Greenspan, MD, whose books guide the care of children with developmental and emotional problems worldwide, is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at George Washington University Medical School and President of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders.

Reviews

From playground bullies and overfilled schedules to the aftershocks of the September 11 terrorist attacks, these books address contemporary childhood stresses. Marks, an M.D. who worked in a New York City trauma and burn center in the aftermath of the attacks, offers good, if general, observations (e.g., "Fear, loss of control, instability, and insecurity can cause a great deal of stress in children"), but his tone is ultimately alienating. Neither scientific nor journalistic, he attempts to persuade readers into accepting his personal rationale for what upsets children. Scenarios are directed at children of the suburban and urban upper class instead of a wider audience. This can grate, as when he implies that all Americans are materialistic, celebrity obsessed, and media manipulated (Marks himself is a health reporter for NBC). Not recommended; consider instead Sheldon Lewis and Sheila Kay Lewis's Stress-Proofing Your Child or Nancy Poffenberger's focused September 11, 2001: A Simple Account for Children. Like Marks, Greenspan (The Irreducible Needs of Children) notes that our culture can create "deep insecurity" but that children can become successful by creating and maintaining relationships with others. Unlike Marks, however, Greenspan did not cobble this together in response to September 11. Greenspan argues that the child who "can figure out the world and understand how emotions and relationships work" is termed "resilient." Against the backdrop of four guiding principles (spend time together, offer reassurance, express feelings, and help others), chapters illuminate developmental stages in nurturing resiliency. Offered tools include the adaptable "floor time," where adults follow "the child's lead helping him to engage with others, communicate," explore feelings, etc., in the "safe" environment of home. Greenspan's tone has a wise-old-man-on-the-mountaintop quality, but the book's brevity can make some material feel underdeveloped. Yet overall, his developmental approach is tried and true and will attract many readers looking for thoughtful advice. For all libraries. Douglas C. Lord, Connecticut State Lib., Hartford
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0738207500
• ISBN 13: 9780738207506
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 160