We recently had Dr. Becky Kennedy on the show and we were floored by how much she taught us. Seriously! We feel like we learned more about parenting during this show than we’ve learned our whole lives.
If you’re not aware, Dr. Becky Kennedy is a renowned clinical psychologist, a best-selling author, and was even named “The Millennial Parenting Whisperer” by TIME Magazine.
She’s got so many tips on good parenting, like how to handle tantrums, model manners, and more. Thankfully, she was gracious enough to share those tips in some of her books, as well as on the show. So today, we’re going to be doing a review of Dr. Becky Kennedy’s best books.
To learn more about Dr. Becky Kennedy and the parenting style she recommends, check out our episode interviewing her here:
Dr. Becky Kennedy Book Reviews
Before we get into the book reviews, let’s talk about who Dr. Becky Kennedy actually is and why she knows what she’s talking about. She’s an expert for sure, but how did she get there? We’ll get into all that and more below.
Who Is Dr. Becky Kennedy?
Dr. Becky Kennedy, as mentioned above, is a clinical psychologist. When she first began practicing, she practiced the popular behavioral control method of parent coaching, using rewards and punishments to control the child’s behavior.
After a while, though, she realized she didn’t feel good about it. Those methods felt awful to her for both the kids and the parents. As a result, she got to work, combining her expertise in attachment, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and internal family systems theory. This combination led to “Good Inside.”
“Good Inside” offers a theory, a book, a podcast, an app, and a parenting style all in one. It relies on the idea that we are inherently good inside. And, while people who are good inside may do bad things when they are struggling, their core goodness remains intact.
When we see our kids struggling with big feelings, our inclination is often to be firm and punish them. “Good Inside” reminds us that we have good kids who are struggling with something, so we can help them learn how to navigate those challenges more effectively. This is how resilience and frustration tolerance are built.
This is in contrast to what we often feel when we make mistakes. We don’t always feel like we’re a good person who’s going through a tough moment. We often initially react with shame, like we’re a bad person who can’t get things right.
Been there? Us, too. That’s why Dr. Becky’s theory is so powerful.
Dr. Becky Kennedy argues that giving people the “Most Generous Interpretation” of their actions helps both of you grow, rather than getting stuck in the shame of doing things wrong. She told us on the show that shame often shuts down our ability to repair. Repairing is what both children and adults actually need after something like yelling at your kids or dealing with bad behavior.
To learn more about how to repair your connection with your kids when things have gone awry, watch the episode! It’s available here.
Dr. Becky Kennedy has three kids herself with her husband, so she’s not only doing the work in theory. She’s applying it to her own life and parenting style!
Dr. Becky Kennedy Credentials
- B.A. in Psychology and Human Development (Phi Beta Kappa & summa cum laude) from Duke University
- Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University
- Founder of Good Inside
- #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
What Are The Best Books By Dr. Becky Kennedy?
Dr. Becky’s perspective-shifting book, Good Inside, provides parenting principles you can use immediately. In her book, she covers topics like sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, tantrums, and more. This book moves away from the traditional parenting philosophy of behavior control. It instead allows parents to cultivate a relationship with their kids while maintaining firm boundaries.
If you’re looking for parenting books that will actually turn things around, read this book! You’ll be amazed at what you learn.
Dr. Becky‘s most recent book, That’s My Truck! is a picture book that’s exactly as the title states: a Good Inside story about hitting. It follows Charlie, a young kid who walks into the playroom and finds his little sister playing with his favorite truck. His feelings are so big that they overwhelm him and he hits his sister.
What happens next can teach both children and parents how to deal with hitting as well as how to deal with the big feelings that lead to hitting. Once you’ve read this book, you’ll feel empowered as well as entertained.
If you want to learn even more about the author, this book chronicles Dr. Becky‘s battle with multiple sclerosis. It’s a compilation of sorts, detailing all the misadventures and embarrassing moments Dr. Becky had while dealing with multiple sclerosis. The book has a lighthearted tone, as Dr. Becky attempts to make the most of a challenging situation.
This one’s more of a textbook and jam-packed with information you may want to know. It guides readers through the entire process of forming and administering a dyslexia assessment. If you are a clinical psychologist dealing with patients with dyslexia, this is a must-read.
In this collection, Dr. Becky uses poetry to describe the world of grief. This heartbreaking collection of poems explores the world after loss. It’s the kind of book that stays on your mind for a long time after you’ve turned to the last page.
Dr. Becky Kennedy taught us so much about how to parent effectively.
We’re so thankful for the lessons she taught us during Dr. Becky’s podcast with TSC. Her theory makes parenting less stressful and less guilt-inducing, while making it more effective and more fun. What more could you ask for in a parenting guru, are we right?
With so many genres under her belt, from picture books and parenting guides to poetry, which book from Dr. Becky is next up on your list? We’re getting Good Inside ASAP! Gotta soak up all that excellent parenting knowledge. Let us know which one looks most interesting to you!