The Self-Aware Parent: 19 Lessons for Growing with Your Children

If we are open to it, we can learn a great deal about ourselves through parenting. When we can tap into this wonderful gift of self-awareness, we naturally become better parents. Parenting endures from a child’s birth to adulthood, and there are new and important lessons for us to embrace at every age. Through a series of relatable essays, Cathy Cassani Adams highlights the rich learning moments in our everyday experiences with children. Practical, yet profound, lessons emerge: • Taking care of yourself makes you a better parent • Accepting your children for who they are is the key to their self worth • Talking about feelings is essential at every stage of development • Understanding children’s misbehavior makes discipline less daunting • Slowing down and simplifying makes parenting more enjoyable • Practicing self awareness leads to a healthy and trusting relationship with your children

Cathy Cassani Adams is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a PCI Certified Parent Coach, a Certified Elementary School Teacher and a Yoga Instructor. Cathy received her Parent Coaching Certification at Seattle Pacific University/Parent Coaching Institute where she is an Adjunct Faculty Member teaching course curriculum and continuing education classes. She received her Master's in Social Work from Loyola University, and her Bachelor's in Elementary Education from Drake University. Cathy worked for many years as a Child and Family Therapist and Clinical Educator at Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago. She opened her own parent coaching practice after the birth of her first daughter and now focuses on workshops, presentations, client coaching and writing. Cathy has been featured in Parents Magazine, Newsweek Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Ebony Magazine, Chicago Parent Magazine, and West Suburban Magazine. She is a recurring guest on WGN Radio Chicago and she was the subject of a Fox News Special Report on the parent coaching profession. Cathy lives in Elmhurst, IL with her husband Todd and their three daughters. Contact Cathy at www.cathycassaniadams.com.