Review of The Connected Parent

This compassionate, gracious approach left me feeling encouraged and inspired, which is exactly what I needed at this point in my parenting journey.

The Connected Parent is an essential resource for parents of children from hard places! Built on a solid scientific foundation with plenty of reminders that our ultimate goal is always the relationship, the book touches on the key points of parenting our kiddos, from meeting their sensory needs to caring well for ourselves. If, like me, you have ever felt that the things you’ve been taught are too formulaic or won’t possibly work in your family, The Connected Parent is a much needed breath of fresh air!

Lisa Qualls builds on the work done by Dr. Karyn Purvis by sharing stories from her family and reminding us often that each child is unique. She shares scripts that worked in her home, for example, and then encourages her readers to adapt those scripts to meet the needs of their children. At the end of each chapter the reader is given a list of key takeaways, as well as a list of application options with the instruction to pick just one!

This compassionate, gracious approach left me feeling encouraged and inspired, which is exactly what I needed at this point in my parenting journey. The Connected Parent reminds us why we do what we do, and equips us well for the challenges we face! Whether you are new to the trust-based parenting approach, or are quite familiar with the principles Dr. Purvis taught, you will find this book to be the best possible combination of scientific principles, real life stories, and plenty of hope to meet you right where you are.

Colleen Derksen is a mom of adopted kiddos. She and her husband are Canadian trainers for Empowered to Connect parent training.