Family Values: Reset Trust, Boundaries, and Connection with Your Child

Psychiatrist Sophy (Side by Side: The Revolutionary Mother-Daughter Program for Conflict-Free Communication) aims to help readers create the “secure, loving, joyful, lasting family you’ve always wanted” in this mostly solid survey. A core element of his approach is his SWEEP process for “assessing how well your basic needs are being met, and making a plan to fulfill those needs.” It covers sleep, work, eating, emotional expression, and play: with those in balance, Sophy writes, families have a better shot at well-being. He includes real-life examples of family challenges and how they were addressed, from a mother whose parenting is “negatively influenced by her childhood” to a daughter who is “in charge” of a “dangerous parent/child dynamic.” As well, the book contains a number self-assessments, including one for confronting one’s past and a “Family Power Questionnaire” (“Do you find yourself getting increasingly angry when responding to your child?”). But there are so many exercises that busy parents may be left feeling overwhelmed (“I’m about to give you some hard work that’s so difficult you might find yourself wanting to cry,” Sophy warns before one set of questions). Motivated readers who stay the course, though, will find plenty of tools for building a stronger family. (Oct.)