Perfectly Imperfect Parenting: Connection Not Perfection

by Dr Mary O’Kane

This book by Dr Mary O’Kane is aimed at the parent who needs to know that they are perfect just the way they are! If you know a parent who tends to put themselves under pressure to be perfect, this book will remind them that they are in fact just the parent their child needs, flaws, imperfections and all! Instead of focusing on perfection, the book helps parents to use connection to support their child’s social and emotional wellbeing!

Perfectly Imperfect Parenting is a practical and accessible guide that will help parents get into the right frame of mind for effective parenting without making them feel guilty or inadequate in their desire to be the best parent they can be. The argument is that parenting is not about perfection. Instead, it is about being there for your child and connecting with them.

With wisdom distilled from more than a decade of working with families, Dr Mary O’Kane, Lecturer in Psychology and Early Childhood Studies with the Open University, provides a framework for parents who want to raise children to thrive in the modern world.

This book is grounded in how neuroscience and evidence-based research supports the idea that our children’s brains need unconditional love to thrive. It explores how you can provide this intimacy and nurturing so you too can feel that sense of connection. Mary outlines how we can ‘scaffold’ our children’s development, just as scaffolding is used on a building to support it during construction. The book covers various areas of social and emotional development, from secure attachments and building resilience, to developing friendships. It also looks at some of the most common parenting challenges we face today, from parenting with patience and supporting anxious children, to parenting in the online world.