The Joy of Parenting: An Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Guide to Effective Parenting in the Early Years

Parents are supposed to be at their best when their children are at their worst. The only problem is that parents are people, too, and are susceptible to knee-jerk reactions, anger, and fears that make perfect parenting nearly impossible. But it is possible to keep your long-term parenting goals in mind, give yourself credit for what you're doing right, and most importantly, enjoy the rewards and joy of raising a child.

The Joy of Parenting is a compassionate guide for parents who sometimes feel overwhelmed—that is, all parents. The acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) skills in this book will help you develop the flexibility and mindfulness to help your child make critical transitions and gracefully move past the bumps along the way.

This guide offers practical skills-based exercises to help you:

•Handle tantrums and defiance with grace
•Refocus on big-picture values when you feel overwhelmed
•Act compassionately toward yourself when you make mistakes
•Adjust your parenting as your child works through typical developmental transitions

Lisa W. Coyne, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the psychology department at Suffolk University in Boston, MA. She has adapted and used acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for families of young children struggling with emotional and behavioral problems. She is director of the early childhood research clinic at Suffolk University, where she studies acceptance and mindfulness processes and how they contribute to parenting strategies, and applies this research to her clinical work with diverse families of young children living in poverty.

Amy R. Murrell, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the psychology department at the University of North Texas. She has been actively developing and conducting acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for children and parents since 2000 and is a recognized leader in the field.

Foreword writer Thomas J. Dishion, Ph.D., is director of the Child and Family Center at the University of Oregon.

Lisa W. Coyne, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology and director of the Early Childhood Research Clinic at Suffolk University in Boston, MA. She has adapted and used acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for families of young children struggling with emotional and behavioral problems, and applies her research to clinical work with young children living in poverty.

Amy R. Murrell, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Texas. She has been actively developing and conducting ACT programs for children and parents since 2000 and is a recognized leader in the field.