Worry Less to Help Your Kids More
Learn how to break free from worry's grip and raise more confident, resilient children.
ORDER THE BOOKThe one book every modern parent needs. You’ll learn what is essential (and what is not) for raising healthy, thriving children.
Hint: Worrying less helps kids more.
Why Do You Need This Book?
In Base Camp Parenting: Worry Less to Help Your Kids More, Susan Bauerfeld and Chris Parrott give parents the tools necessary to shift away from worrying. They discuss the adverse impact of parental worrying on “Base Camp”—the environment in which children are raised—and show how shifting attention away from worried thinking is crucial to overall health and well-being.
By following their easy-to-implement four-step shifting process, families can become calmer, more connected, and better prepared to handle life’s ups and downs. Base Camp Parenting provides a transformational model for raising healthy, capable, and resilient children who can cope effectively with the stress and anxiety of the modern world.
PRAISE FOR BASE CAMP PARENTING
MEL ROBBINS
New York Times bestselling author of “The Let Them Theory”
Host of The Mel Robbins Podcast
Jennifer Breheny Wallace
New York Times Best Selling author of “Never Enough” and “Mattering”
“Base Camp Parenting is a wonderful addition to any parent’s bookshelf. Bauerfeld and Parrott pack tons of science and wisdom into this warm and approachable guide for parents, helping them turn worry into wonder, with love and compassion.”
Eli R. Lebowitz, PhD
Author of “Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD”
Associate Professor in the Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine
Lynn Lyons, LICSW
Co-author of “Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents” and “Playing with Anxiety”
WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?
PART ONE
Did you know that worry is like a wolf in sheep’s clothing? You will learn why worry appears essential and beneficial, but actually interferes with your relationship with your children and your ability to provide the Base Camp resources that foster optimal growth.
PART TWO
Here you’ll learn how to “get your shift together” so you can worry less and help your kids more. Included are strategies for spotting worried thinking, an easy four-step process for what to do N.E.X.T., and mantras that help you remember it all when the going gets tough.
PART THREE
Part 3 describes what worrying less and coping more look like in real life. Through stories of other parents who have gotten their shift together and discussions about managing cultural and societal pressures, you’ll gain the clarity and confidence you need to worry less and help your kids more.
Chris is a Board Certified Life Coach and British Psychological Society Chartered Counseling Psychologist based in New York. She is co-author of Reach Before You Teach: Ignite Passion and Purpose in Your Classroom.
Susan is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, IFS Therapist, Speaker, Parent Consultant/Coach, and ADHD Coach based in Connecticut.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Every parent I know worries. What’s the big deal?
When you are concerned about your children, it is indeed natural and even helpful to have a worried thought or two. For example, a thought such as I’m worried about my child’s sudden weight loss can bring your attention to an issue that needs to be addressed. If you use that thought as a cue to focus on problem-solving and coping, there is no “big deal.”
The “big deal” arises when your attention gets stuck on the distorted thinking, angst, and distress that ongoing worrying generates. When you can’t shift away from worrying, your ability to manage the issue well is compromised. The inward shift of attention makes focusing on what is happening with your child in the here and now— in the world outside your brain—much harder.
I’ve read a lot of parenting books. What makes this one special?
This book doesn’t just recommend that you worry less: it describes why it matters AND, most importantly, shows you how to do it. Most reputable books about raising children extoll the benefits of calmness and a secure, nurturing parent/child relationship. Very few of them teach parents how to become calm when they are dysregulated or how to shift their attention away from worry. This book does.
If I didn’t worry, things could get out of control. If you want me to worry less, won’t I be putting my kids at risk?
You are in good company if you believe this. Worry tells everyone who will listen that the best way to address any concern is to control everything. There are several flaws in that logic, though.
- It’s impossible to control everything and/or to always be certain and comfortable. If your children follow your example and try to control everything, they will be set up for failure and disappointment. They are also more likely to have trouble coping with discomfort and to to develop an anxiety disorder.
- The act of trying to achieve the impossible goal of controlling everything is exhausting. Do you really believe your kids are better off when you are exhausted?
- Coping skills and resilience grow through experience. When you try to control everything, your children lose out on valuable opportunities to learn how to cope and manage themselves in the face of challenge and adversity.
- Worrying affects your nervous system and makes reactivity and dysregulation more, not less, likely. Things are far more likely to feel out of control when you are in this state.
Worrying less helps your kids more!
I’d like to worry less, but I just can’t seem to stop. Can this book help with that?
Yes! We wrote this book for parents just like you. It’s one thing to understand the downsides of worrying and reactivity; it’s quite another to figure out how to respond differently. We sincerely believe that parents like you would worry less if you knew how. That’s why in Part Two we offer easy-to-follow strategies and guidance for getting your shift together— so you can worry less and help your kids more.
What are the benefits of worrying less?
When you worry less, your nervous system will be stronger and calmer. (Worrying activates and exhausts your nervous system). You will also regain access to valuable resources that are blocked by worrying — like courage, curiosity, and confidence — helping you to manage situations in ways that reap long-term benefits for your children. (Worry always prioritizes the short-term goals of comfort and certainty, which limits your options.) With access to such resources restored, your relationships with your children (and others) will improve. In turn, your children will be more likely to sense that they matter to you more than your worries and to develop the skills needed to manage all of life’s ups and downs.
Does this approach work with children who are neurodivergent or have ADHD?
Yes. The Base Camp Parenting approach is universally beneficial. The focus on understanding the nature of helpful help (and help that is not so helpful) and on building regulation skills is particularly valuable when raising neurodivergent children. While the approach is not a substitute for targeted guidance from practitioners who specialize in neurodivergence or ADHD, it provides a solid, research-backed foundation for parenting all children.
What age range of children does the Base Camp Parenting approach cover?
The approach can be used effectively with children of any age. In fact, when consistently applied, the foundational principles provide benefits throughout the lifespan. People of all ages do better when they worry less and have access to beneficial resources and emotional regulation skills. The beauty of the Base Camp Parenting approach is that it helps parents as much as kids!
Do you run workshops or present on the material in this book?
Yes, Susan and Chris love to share the Base Camp Parenting approach. We offer presentations, workshops, and keynote addresses for audiences ranging from local community organizations to international professional conferences. To find out more or to book an engagement, or join the Basecamp Parents Community, fill out the form below.