A mindful approach to parenting that helps children (and their parents) feel happier, healthier, calmer, and less stressed in our frenetic era Rooted in the science of the brain, and integrating cognitive neuroscience and child development, Mindful Parenting is a unique program that speaks directly to today's busy families who make up what Dr. Race calls "Generation Stress." Research has shown that mindfulness practices stimulate the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Regular stimulation of this part of the brain helps us feel happier, healthier, calmer, less anxious, less stressed, and makes it easier for us to concentrate and think clearly―the very behavior we are hoping our children will display. Dr. Race provides: An explanation of the way the brain works and why parents and kids today are more stressed, anxious, and angry than ever before Practical solutions to the problem: Things parents can do to change brain patterns and create a more relaxed and happier home "Brain Coolers": Quick tips that can be used in the moment to help families relax, recharge, and create happiness (such as "The Three Breath Hug") Mindful Parenting understands the realities of raising a family in our fast paced and often-frenetic world and provides hundreds of easy-to-implement solutions, both for parents and their children, to help them manage stress, create peace, and live happier lives. "This book is a must-read for all parents of our generation.” --Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx “In our increasingly hectic world, many parents feel too busy, stressed and distracted to teach their kids how to live healthy lives. In Mindful Parenting, Kristen Race will show you how to slow down, model mindfulness, and stay connected as a family. Rooted in science and filled with practical takeaways, this is a welcome and needed book for all parents.” ―Dr. Laura Markham, author of Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How To Stop Yelling and Start Connecting “Is your family running from one activity to the next? Do you spend more time balancing conflicting schedules than bonding as a family? Mindful Parenting will help you and your family lead calmer, happier, and healthier lives. Rooted in science, Dr. Kristen Race offers lots of clever, fun techniques you can implement right away. The takeaways will help you and your children find the balance and calm you all need and deserve. This book is a must-read for all parents of our generation.” ―Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx “A thoughtful, science-based plan that helps today's parents and their kids use mindfulness techniques . . . Busy parents will benefit from Race's balanced approach and bounty of family-friendly ways to decompress.” ― Publishers Weekly KRISTEN RACE, Ph.D. is an expert in child, family and school psychology and the founder of Mindful Life. Dr. Race speaks regularly at national conferences and for many community groups. Her print articles have appeared in Kiwi magazine, Denver Life, and Colorado Business Magazine among others, and she has appeared on the CBS Morning Show and Everyday Colorado  as a parenting expert. She currently resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado with her family. Mindful Parenting Simple and Powerful Solutions for Raising Creative, Engaged, Happy Kids in Today's Hectic World By Kristen Race St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2014 Kristen Race All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-02031-4 ONE Generation Stress     Last summer I was preparing to make the three-hour drive back to our home in Steamboat Springs after taking the kids camping for four days with several other families. As I was packing up the car, I realized how relaxing our time in the Flat Tops Wilderness Area had been. The kids had played for hours on end in the outdoors, building forts, catching snakes and frogs, fishing, playing freeze tag, and making s’mores by the fire. There were plenty of adults around to watch the kids, so the parents were able to take turns slipping away for a hike or mountain bike ride. There’d been no fights over whose turn it was to pick the TV show, and with no cell phone service, I’d been able to disengage completely from work and other distractions. It had been easy just to be present with my family and friends. My mood changed nearly immediately on the drive home: A small worry began to form in the pit of my stomach. First, I remembered some house repairs that had to get done; then my thoughts shifted to worrying about how we were going to juggle child care during the upcoming work week, which led to what activities I needed to sign the kids up for in the fall and how we were going to be able to afford them. In the background were the bigger stressors, such as would we ever be able to refinance our home, would our business make enough money to support us, and was my commitment to work making me a lousy mom? As the feeling in the pit of my stomach grew, so did my level of impatience with the kids. “Stop talking to each other!” I remember s