How to Be a Happier Parent

AUTHOR: KRISTEN OBARSKY

Author, journalist, and blogger KJ Dell’Antonia’s How to be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute is an easygoing book filled with practical wisdom in the confusing world of parenting. Dell’Antonia guides readers through the maze of raising children, offering insights that feel forgiving, relaxed, and never heavy-handed. She emphasizes that the parent is the role model of how we want our kids to be. (How you feel when your kids are glued to a phone is likely how they feel when you are on yours.) 

Rather than overwhelming readers with drastic overhauls, Dell’Antonia advocates for the power of incremental adjustments, including implementing practical routines such as kids doing chores, managing extracurriculars (and when to let those extracurriculars go), and focusing on long-term solutions that correct both parent and child (which allows time for more stress-free activities). 

She reminds us of the importance of letting things go and not having knee-jerk reactions when things go wrong. According to Dell’Antonia, parents themselves need to model emotional balance, rather than expecting kids not to overreact. Ultimately, I wish I had discovered this book sooner as it offers hope for a happier, more fulfilling family life.

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