Click the above link to download the slides from “Being a Present Parent” discussion series led by Danielle Armstrong, LCSW, TJ Social Worker (Oct-Nov 2020). Based on the book “The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired,” by Daniel J. Siegel, MD, and Tina Payne Bryson, PhD.

Key concept:

Parents can focus on building a relationship with their child involving the 4 “S”s so they can build confidence and resilience as they grow toward adulthood and independence:

Safe: feel protected and sheltered from harm

Seen: know you care about them and pay attention to them (gives
mindsight–knowing you have feelings and thoughts that are real and are worth
being loved and paid attention to)

Soothed: know you will be there when they’re hurting (life comes with pain, but
won’t have to go through it alone)

Secure: trust you to predictably help them feel “at home” in the world, then learn to
help themselves feel safe, seen and soothed