When I'm Afraid: (Language of Parenting Guides)

An award-winning animator and a prominent psychologist team up on a new series of children's books and accompanying guides that help parents explain powerful emotions to their children. Often children are overwhelmed by fear and need to be reassured that this emotion is a normal part of life. "When I'm Afraid," one of the first books in the Language of Parenting series, explains this difficult subject in a completely original and practical way. Jane Aaron's boldly illustrated children's book features simple language and vivid images that capture a child's attention. Depicting kids in typical situations that evoke fear, the illustrations help children realize that others not only experience the same feelings, but find positive ways to cope with them. Because it is difficult to talk to children about such abstract concepts as feelings, "When I'm Afraid" includes a guide for parents written by respected therapist Dr. Barbara Gardiner. "A Parent's Guide to Fear "shows parents how to use "When I'm Afraid" to interact with their children and conduct meaningful dialogue specific to the needs of children at different ages. Parents are asked to validate their child's feelings and share their own memories of being scared as a child as starting points for discussion. Dr. Gardiner pinpoints some common fears and how to resolve them, such as: * sleeping alone * making mistakes * going to the doctor Dr. Gardiner's Language of Parenting is based on the fundamental ABCs of parenting: acknowledging a child's feelings (listening and accepting fears), having age-appropriate behavior expectations (recognizing that different fears will come up at different ages), and demonstrating consistency in parenting style (maintaining house rules such as having the child sleep in his/her own bed). She emphasizes the importance of allowing children to generate their own solutions. No other children's book about emotions is presented in such an instructive and creative package and involves parents so actively in the emotional development of their children.

About the Author :
Jane Aaron is a best-selling illustrator and an acclaimed director of animation. She illustrated the "New York Times" bestseller "No More Secrets for Me" and "Close to Home." Aaron has designed, produced, and directed more than 75 short animated films for "Sesame Street," and her animated films have been seen on PBS, Showtime, Cinemax, The Learning Channel, and in many international markets. Her films have been shown in the Whitney Museum of Art, the Hirschhorn Museum, and the Walker Art Center. She is a Guggenheim Fellow. She lives in New York City with her husband and son. Dr. Barbara Gardiner is a clinical psychologist with offices in New York City and Westchester. She has developed the "Language of Parenting," a practical and respectful style of parenting that she teaches to parents in both group and individual sessions. The grandmother of two, she lives with her husband in New York City.

Review :
"Jane Aaron's outwardly simple but profoundly sophisticated expositions of children's feelings are presented in such a way that children will recognize themselves in every picture. There is no hint of the too-often-used expression 'you mustn't feel that way.' The message is clear: Feelings belong to you. It's only actions that might be bad. Dr. Gardiner's accompanying guides are some of the best for understanding children's development that I've ever seen. I predict that these books will become classics."--Clarice J. Kestenbaum, M.D., professor of clinical psychiatry, Columbia University "Learning to cope with emotions is a major task of childhood. Jane Aaron and Dr. Barbara Gardiner give parents and children an unusual opportunity to explore feelings together. The illustrations and text are engaging and the situations depicted are typical of children's lives. I can't think of a more enjoyable way for children to share their emotions with their parents or with other sympathetic adults."--Daniel Pilowsky, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine "An exciting concept in child rearing guides-- advice for parents combined with fun ways for kids to express and deal with their emotions. This is a truly useful approach that your children will love even though it's good for them."--Dr. Ron Taffel, author of "Parenting by Heart "and contributing editor, "Parents" magazine