10/26/2025
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Some parenting books leave you anxious. Some leave you feeling not enough. But this book left me breathing easier. From the first chapter, Eli Harwoodâs words felt like a deep exhale, like someone finally saying, âYouâre doing better than you think, and hereâs how to do even better.â
Harwood writes with tenderness and honesty. She sees both the child and the parent; the hopes we carry, the stress we hide, the wounds we still havenât healed. And she doesnât shame you for any of it. Reading this book made me feel understood. It made me feel like I could grow without tearing myself down.
Here are five powerful insights that shaped me:
1. Connection isnât a luxury, itâs the foundation.
Harwood reframes behavior as communication. A tantrum isnât defiance. It is distress overflowing from a nervous system that doesnât yet know what to do with big feelings. When connection comes first, when we kneel down, look into their eyes, and say, âIâm here with youâ; the fear behind the behavior softens.
2. Calm is contagious, especially a parentâs.
Kids borrow our emotional state. When we lose control, they spin out with us. But when we breathe, slow down, and ground ourselves, we become an anchor in their chaos. Harwood helped me understand that being calm isnât weakness. Itâs leadership.
3. Emotional validation is nourishment for the soul.
Harwood shows that when we dismiss or minimize feelings, even with good intentions, kids learn that emotions are dangerous or a burden. But when we reflect back what theyâre experiencing (âYouâre really disappointed,â âThat scared youâ), we teach them that emotions can be named, managed, and released. This insight hit me deeply.
4. You can interrupt generational patterns, even if they run deep.
Harwood speaks gently to the wounded child inside every parent. She reminds us that what we didnât receive (patience, softness, reassurance) can become exactly what we offer now. There is something profoundly healing about parenting with intention; consciously replacing fear with love, silence with communication, shame with understanding.
5. Repair is not a fallback plan, itâs the heart of secure attachment.
We will shout. We will snap. We will misread moments and overreact. But instead of spiraling into guilt, Harwood invites us to reconnect. To sit beside them and say, âIâm sorry. I shouldnât have spoken like that. You didnât deserve it.â They show a child that relationships survive conflict. This made me feel relieved. Perfection isnât required. Love that returns after rupture is what creates trust.
By the last page, I felt equipped. I felt hopeful. I felt more human â and more capable of raising one. If you want a parenting book that doesnât just instruct but transforms, "Raising Securely Attached Kids" will change the way you see your child, and yourself, forever.
BOOK: https://amzn.to/42Wr89s
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