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
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
The Yes Brain summary
How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity and Resilience in Your Child
19 mins
Brief summary
The Yes Brain by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson is a parenting book that encourages cultivating children's positive and curious mindset. It provides practical tips for nurturing emotional resilience, creativity and healthy relationships to help the children thrive.
Table of Contents
The Yes Brain
Summary of 6 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 6
The Yes Brain is a mindset that helps you and your children become more open, creative and resilient.
Close your eyes and repeat “no” to yourself for 30 seconds. How do you feel? Chances are you’re tense and unmotivated. But try saying “yes” instead. That’s much better, right?
That’s because affirmation has a calming and relaxing effect.
Like most people, you probably want what’s best for both yourself and your children, including this open, accepting attitude that says “yes” to the world.
And that’s basically what the Yes Brain is.
It’s a way of being in the world that makes you receptive and helps you live meaningfully.
Take the first part. When you’re receptive, you’re primed to take challenges in stride. You’re flexible and capable of thinking clearly.
The No Brain is the opposite. It’s a defensive and reactive outlook. That’s a problem because it makes connecting with other people and reaching good decisions extremely difficult.
When you put it that way, the Yes Brain is clearly preferable to the No Brain.
So how can you develop this attitude?
Being receptive might feel like an intangible goal. But there are concrete strategies you can use to begin developing a Yes Brain as an adult parent.
A good place to start is with its four essential characteristics. These are balance, resilience, insight and empathy. These are all explored in the following blinks.
But what about children?
Well, the one follows the other. When you model fundamental Yes Brain characteristics, your children are also likely to adopt them. A couple of techniques can help you do this.
Take Alex. His son Teddy had a meltdown whenever something didn’t go his way when playing soccer.
A No Brain response would be to try to shame Teddy. “Other kids don’t start crying when they miss a shot,” it would say, “so why should you?”
Luckily Alex could draw on the authors’ insights. Rather than embarrassing his son, he adopted a Yes Brain attitude and helped widen Teddy’s window of tolerance.
That’s basically a way of expanding the number of things we can encounter without “losing it.”
Teddy learned techniques like deep breathing while Alex learned how to empathize with his son and comfort him when things went awry. In the end, Teddy calmed down enough to listen and become aware of his behavior.
Want to see all full key ideas from The Yes Brain?
Key ideas in The Yes Brain
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is The Yes Brain about?
The Yes Brain (2018) is a hands-on guide to teaching yourself and your kids to approach the world with openness, creativity and boundless curiosity. Packed full of useful tips, examples and ideas, this book shows parents how to model and cultivate the traits that let you say “yes” to the world: balance, resilience, insight and empathy. And that doesn’t just give children better self-control and awareness; it also puts them on the path to meaningful and successful lives.
The Yes Brain Review
The Yes Brain (2018) is a thought-provoking book that explores the power of cultivating a positive mindset in children and adults. Here's why you should definitely give it a read:
- Packed with practical techniques and strategies, it offers valuable insights into fostering resilience and emotional intelligence, helping individuals thrive in today's world.
- By combining scientific research, case studies, and relatable stories, the book provides a deep understanding of how the brain works and empowers readers to make meaningful changes.
- What sets this book apart is its engaging approach that seamlessly blends theory with actionable steps, keeping readers engaged and invested in their personal growth journey.
Best quote from The Yes Brain
By helping develop insight and response flexibility in your kids when theyre young, you can lay a foundation for literal generations of emotional and relational success.
—Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
Who should read The Yes Brain?
- Parents worried about their child’s selfishness
- Anyone who works with children
- Anyone looking for a mindful solution to everyday problems
Categories with The Yes Brain
Book summaries like The Yes Brain
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
37 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth
The Yes Brain FAQs
What is the main message of The Yes Brain?
The main message of The Yes Brain is to cultivate resilience and adaptability in children by fostering a balanced approach to life's challenges.
How long does it take to read The Yes Brain?
The reading time for The Yes Brain varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is The Yes Brain a good book? Is it worth reading?
The Yes Brain is a valuable read for parents, educators, and anyone interested in fostering a growth mindset in children. It provides practical insights and strategies for nurturing resilience and emotional intelligence.
Who is the author of The Yes Brain?
The authors of The Yes Brain are Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson.
What to read after The Yes Brain?
If you're wondering what to read next after The Yes Brain, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- No-Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
- The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
- Tiny Humans, Big Emotions by Alyssa Gloria Campbell & Lauren Stauble
- The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
- The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey
- How Children Succeed by Paul Tough
- Unlocking Parental Intelligence by Laurie Hollman
- Raising Critical Thinkers by Julie Bogart
- The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) by Philippa Perry
- The Sovereign Child by Aaron Stupple