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How to parent smarter not harder.

The Work/Parent Switch

“Simply the best parenting book I have ever read and I have read lots. Written from the view point of working parents and full of warmth and practical advice.”

“This is a fantastic book for any working parents worried about striking the balance right between career and caring for children… The author really understands that and looks at solutions to many common issues and worries we working parents face daily in a very sympathetic and practical way. Highly recommended.”

“Heartily recommend for any stressed out, constantly guilty working parent.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What is the book about?

Most working parents feel like we are running just to stand still. We want to be good parents. We want to get parenting ‘right’. We do everything we can to smooth our children’s paths and give them a good start in life. But we have limited time, limited energy and too much to do. Something has to give.

The Work/Parent Switch moves the goalposts. It’s about being a great parent by doing less, rather than always trying to do more. Parenting smarter rather than harder, by understanding what children really need from us. So we can use those bits of time left over when work is done to focus on the right things – connecting with our children and creating a happy family life.

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montage of book covers of The Work/Parent Switch by parenting expert Anita Cleare

The Work/Parent Switch: How to parent smarter not harder  empowers working parents to build a family life which is low on conflict, high in warmth and good for children’s development. So you can be the parent your child needs, and still do your job. It is the essential parenting book for every working parent who wants to enjoy their family life more, shout a little less and raise happy, successful children.

International editions: available in the USA as The Working Parent’s Survival Guide and in German, Chinese, Polish and Romanian.

Why ‘the Work/Parent Switch’?

In the book I argue that the mindset we use for work is not the same as the mindset we need for parenting. Work is all about being efficient and task-focused and goal-driven. But children need a different set of skills from us. They need parents who are in the moment (not three steps ahead), who are able to be messy and playful, who tune in to them and see the world through their eyes. Learning to transition seamlessly between work-mode and parent-mode is essential for working parents.

How is it different from other parenting books?

This is a parenting book firmly grounded in the reality that being a good parent when you are stressed and tired from work is doubly difficult. It covers key challenges for working parents such as managing difficult behaviour when you’re tired at the end of the day, and modern concerns such as controlling children’s tech time and promoting good mental health. Plus, there’s a focus on those sticky parts of the working parent’s day like getting kids out of the house in the morning and avoiding homework battles.

 

Who is it for?

The Work/Parent Switch is aimed at time-poor parents who want to be good parents – dads as well as mums. It respects the huge diversity of family set-ups which mean that a parent might only see their children for a few hours a week or they might be the taking the full brunt of parenting solo (on top of working). It’s aimed primarily at parents of 2- to 11-year-olds (teenagers are a slightly different challenge!) but the central messages apply to all ages. In essence, it’s for any working parent who wants practical tips on how to be the best parent they can and enjoy time with their children!

If you do read the book and enjoy it, please pop back to the bookseller’s website and leave a review to help other parents know what it is about and whether it is the right book for them.

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