The Power of Presence: Be a Voice in Your Child's Ear Even When You're Not with Them

For single parents, working parents, and caregivers who worry about the time they spend away from their children, the mother of The Other Wes Moore shares strategies to raise happy, well adjusted kids.

As the mother of Wes Moore, whose memoir about overcoming the obstacles that face a fatherless young black man was a huge bestseller, Joy is constantly asked: How did you do it? How can you be a good parent, have a career and stay healthy when you don't have a partner to pick up the slack? How do you connect with a child when you can't always be there? Joy's answer is "presence." Specifically, seven different ways of being a force in a child's life, ensuring that they feel your influence. We can't always be physically there for our children, but the power of presence can help us to be a voice in the back of their minds that guides them through difficult times.

In The Power of Presence, Moore explores seven pillars of presence--heart, faith, mind, courage, financial freedom, values, and connectedness--that all parents can use to positively influence their children. Using compelling stories from women who have been there and practical advice on everything from savings accounts to mindfulness, this book is a compassionate look at what it takes to raise great kids even in less than ideal circumstances.

Joy Thomas Moore is a Peabody Award winner and President and CEO of JWS Media Consulting. Prior to starting her company, Moore worked for 15 years with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private philanthropy dedicated to helping build better futures for disadvantaged children and families in the United States. There she developed and supported media products to support and enhance the Foundation's mission. The Casey Foundation is one of the numerous organizations she works for as a consultant through JWS Media Consulting.