Overview
Parenting is a paradox: to truly love our children, we must also give them the space to grow. Many devoted parents instinctively step in to protect and guide their children yet struggle knowing when to step back. While “helicopter parenting” is widely discouraged, parents are often left without clear, practical alternatives. In The Parenting Paradox: Loving Our Children by Giving Them Space to Grow, Dr. Jenny Brown offers a new perspective--not about loving less, but about shifting the anxious energy that often comes with deep parental care to a more constructive type of love. Dr. Brown sheds light on the cultural forces shaping today’s intensive parenting, revealing how well-meaning advice can often undermine a parent’s growth and confidence. Through real-life experiences and professional insights, she challenges the message that constant intervention is necessary for a child to flourish and instead provides a thoughtful, lasting approach to fostering independence. Rather than offering a quick fix or the latest parenting trend, The Parenting Paradox provides a sustainable path forward. Dr. Brown helps parents navigate their own fears while giving their children space to build confidence and resilience. And in creating that space, parents also grow, gaining clarity in their role so they can become the loving leaders they aspire to be.
Full Product Details
Author: Jenny Brown (Family therapist, author)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Dimensions:
Width: 13.70cm
, Height: 2.30cm
, Length: 21.60cm
Weight: 0.520kg
ISBN: 9798765161968
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 11 June 2026
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Reviews
You love your child so much, but they seem to be suffering. What more can you do? Simple: Adjust what you can adjust—you! This very compassionate, non-shaming, real-world guide will tell you how. -- Lenore Skenazy, president of Let Grow, author of Free-Range Kids The Parenting Paradox equips parents to dial back anxiety, stay grounded, and thoughtfully make space for their kids to grow. Blending clinical expertise, real-life case studies, and actionable advice to guide readers in self-reflection and intentional parenting, this book offers invaluable insight for anyone seeking a more satisfying, meaningful connection with their children. -- Darby Saxbe, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Southern California and author of Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood The Parenting Paradox is a rare, refreshing antidote to intensive parenting culture. Dr. Brown invites parents to shift from fixing their children to growing themselves, offering a calm, steady path toward clarity, confidence, and genuine connection at home. -- Bryana Kappadakunnel, author of Parent Yourself First This is an important book for parents—and for all who work with them. The point about easing pressure on kids is vital, and this book adds concrete advice on how parents can do so, grounded in the author’s research and clinical experience. Such guidance has been largely missing from previous discussions, and I sincerely believe it can move the conversation forward. -- Peter N. Stearns, co-author of The American Child: The Transformation of Childhood Since World War II, professor emeritus at George Mason University When a parent makes themselves the project, and not the child, everyone is freed up to be a little more responsible for themselves. Differentiation-based parenting is for anyone who wants to relate to their child from a more solid, principled position. -- Kathleen Smith, PhD, author of True to You and Everything Isn’t Terrible
Author Information
Jenny Brown, PhD, has worked in child and family mental health for the past four decades. She is regularly sought out as a thought leader in children’s mental health through her research, writings, social media, and speaking platforms. Dr. Brown developed The Parent Hope Project that provides psychoeducation for parents and training for professionals to use a unique intervention method for parents with a struggling child. Dr. Brown is also the author of Growing Yourself Up: How to Bring Your Best to All of Life’s Relationships.
