How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids Book Summary - How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids Book explained in key points
Listen to the Intro
00:00

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids summary

Carla Naumburg

A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent

4.1 (89 ratings)
18 mins

Brief summary

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids by Carla Naumburg offers practical strategies and mindful parenting techniques to help parents stay calm and manage their emotions during challenging moments with their kids.

Table of Contents

    How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids
    Summary of 6 key ideas

    Audio & text in the Blinkist app
    Key idea 1 of 6

    The real reason you’re losing your cool

    Does this sound familiar? Your child spills cereal all over the floor, and before you even realize it, you’re yelling. You know it’s an overreaction, but it feels automatic, like something snapped inside. You’re not alone. Losing your temper as a parent is a common experience. It often happens when you’re pushed past your limits by stress, exhaustion, or emotional triggers. Understanding why you lose control is the first step toward regaining it.

    Meltdowns, or losing your temper, usually follow a pattern. They typically involve intense emotions like anger, fear, or stress, and these reactions are rarely conscious choices. Most of the time, they’re automatic, ingrained responses rooted in your past. Perhaps you grew up in a household where your own parents lost their temper in similar situations, and without realizing it, you’ve adopted the same behaviors. It’s not something you actively choose – it just happens, sometimes without warning.

    These outbursts aren’t random; they’re reactions to something specific. Whether it’s the frustration of being late, a difficult day at work, or even unrelated emotional baggage, your brain is primed to respond to triggers that push you over the edge. In some cases, the trigger might not even be related to your child. Recognizing what you’re actually reacting to is critical.

    But not all outbursts are created equal. Some moments of anger, such as yelling when your child runs into the street, come from a place of real concern and are appropriate. However, toxic explosions – like screaming over a minor inconvenience – are harmful. These outbursts damage your relationship with your child while increasing stress levels for both of you, making future meltdowns more likely.

    What’s worse, losing your temper regularly takes a toll on your health. Each time you lose control, your stress hormones spike, which can lead to long-term issues like high blood pressure and weakened immunity. For your children, the impact is just as serious. Kids learn from what they see, and frequent outbursts can leave them feeling anxious or disconnected, setting them up to react similarly when they face stress.

    The good news is that by becoming more aware of your triggers and learning how to respond rather than react, you can start losing your temper less often. You’re not expected to stay calm all the time – it’s about gaining control over how you respond when things get tough.

    Next, let’s focus on understanding what sets you off, and how you can identify and manage those triggers before they lead to an outburst.

    Want to see all full key ideas from How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids?

    Key ideas in How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids

    More knowledge in less time
    Read or listen
    Read or listen
    Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
    Find your next read
    Find your next read
    Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
    Shortcasts
    Shortcasts New
    We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

    What is How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids about?

    How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids (2019) is a guide for parents looking to manage their frustration and stay calm when dealing with challenging parenting moments. It offers practical advice for identifying triggers, practicing mindfulness, and reducing stress to foster more peaceful interactions with children. Through humor and empathy, it helps parents build emotional resilience and self-compassion.

    How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids Review

    How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids (2019) is a practical and insightful book that offers valuable advice on maintaining composure and improving communication with our children. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • Featuring real-life scenarios and relatable examples, it provides actionable strategies that parents can implement immediately.
    • By addressing the emotional challenges of parenting, it helps parents build a stronger relationship with their kids and create a harmonious home environment.
    • With its humorous tone and empathetic approach, the book offers a refreshing perspective on parenting, ensuring that it is anything but boring.

    Who should read How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids?

    • Parents struggling to manage daily parenting stress
    • Caregivers seeking practical strategies for staying calm
    • Anyone experiencing frequent frustration with their children

    About the Author

    Carla Naumburg, PhD, is a clinical social worker and parenting expert known for her accessible and relatable advice on managing the challenges of parenthood. Her expertise lies in mindfulness and self-compassion, which she integrates into her work to help parents reduce stress and stay calm. She is also the author of other best-selling books, including Parenting in the Present Moment and Ready, Set, Breathe, both of which focus on mindful parenting strategies.

    Categories with How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids

    Book summaries like How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids

    People ❤️ Blinkist 
    Sven O.

    It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

    Thi Viet Quynh N.

    Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

    Jonathan A.

    Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

    Renee D.

    Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

    People also liked these summaries

    4.7 Stars
    Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
    36 Million
    Downloads on all platforms
    10+ years
    Experience igniting personal growth
    Powerful ideas from top nonfiction

    Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.

    Get started

    How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids FAQs 

    What is the main message of How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids?

    The main message of How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids is to help parents manage their anger and frustrations in order to build better relationships with their children.

    How long does it take to read How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids?

    The reading time for How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids varies depending on the reader, but it typically takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids a good book? Is it worth reading?

    How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids is worth reading because it provides practical strategies to help parents maintain calm and improve communication with their children.

    Who is the author of How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids?

    The author of How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids is Carla Naumburg.

    What to read after How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids?

    If you're wondering what to read next after How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids, here are some recommendations we suggest:
    • Make Your Mark by Jocelyn K. Glei
    • Raising Securely Attached Kids by Eli Harwood
    • Raising Girls Who Like Themselves by Kasey Edwards
    • The Skills-Powered Organization by Ravin Jesuthasan
    • Habits of a Peacemaker by Steven T. Collis
    • Rebel Talent by Francesca Gino
    • Raising Mentally Strong Kids by Amen MD Daniel G. & Charles Fay
    • The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry
    • 13 Things Mentally Strong Parents Don’t Do by Amy Morin
    • Saving Aziz by Chad Robichaux with David L. Thomas