How to Be the Grown-Up - by Martha Deiros Collado (Paperback)

About the Book

"Drawing on her years of experience as a clinical psychologist, as well as her growing and dedicated social media community, Dr Martha Deiros Collado's first book is the must-have toolkit for any parent." --

Book Synopsis

'Parenting doesn't come with a manual, but if it did, it would be this one.' -- MYLEENE KLASS

'How to Be the Grown-Up has already become my favorite parenting handbook. Every parent needs this.' -- DAISY LOWE

Drawing on her years of experience as a clinical psychologist, as well as her growing and dedicated social media community, Dr Martha Deiros Collado's first book is the must-have toolkit for any parent.

Martha understands the many modern-day parenting struggles and worries we all face:

• How can I make my child listen to me?
• Can I stop a tantrum in its tracks?
• What can I do when my child feels sad?
• Why does my child only eat three very particular things without having a meltdown?
• What should I do when I lose my sh*t?

With humor, boundless energy, wit and warmth, Dr Martha tackles it all; from how to talk about honesty and lies, death, co-parenting, consent, gender, attachment, boundaries, and tantrums, as well as the small but critical day to day challenges parents face. And she explains why beneath each dilemma, it's the behaviours and scripts we learned as children that shape the parents we become.

This deceptively simple and always empathetic guide promises to become the new word of mouth 'must have' for parents or any grown-up interested in what makes a healthy, happy, confident parent and child.

Review Quotes

Down to earth, anchored in compassion and completely do-able, Dr Martha gives real answers to all the questions every parent wants to know.--Suzy Reading, chartered psychologist, author of Stand Tall Like a Mountain

This book is an essential guide for all parents. Empowering, empathetic and educational. It has helped me to think more deeply about my own parenting, and understand myself better.--Clare Bourne, author of Strong Foundations

Martha is my go-to expert for parenting. This book is full of real life examples, lived experiences, useful strategies and so much reassurance--Charlotte Stirling-Reed, bestselling author of How to Wean Your Baby

A wonderful and compassionate resource based on sound evidence. I would be recommending this to parents lots when I worked with children.--Emma Hepburn, clinical psychologist and author of A Toolkit for Modern Life

'A must-read... written in a supportive, non-judgemental tone which encourages the reader not to give up. I would highly recommend this book to anyone trying to navigate parenthood - through love, patience and dedication.'--Dr Aziza Sesay @talkswithdrsesay

Will help you truly understand your child's behaviours, and rethink your own too... This book will change how you parent for the better.--Nichola Ludlam-Raine, Registered Dietitian, @mummynutrition

Grateful to have this on my bookshelf. I'll be using it for years to come.--Dr Faye Begeti @the_brain_doctor

Martha has a magic way of connecting to the parent, I felt like she was speaking directly to me throughout. She addresses many of the most daunting and overwhelming challenges of parenting and dilutes them with her wonderful understanding and strategies. This is a book I will refer to again and again.--Carla Freeman

Oh the times I've looked around for a 'real adult' to tell me how to parent! In this warm, powerful book, Dr Martha is exactly that compassionate, confident voice that we all need. Dr Martha supports us in exploring the narratives we learnt within our own childhood, and gently challenges them so that we can feel empowered and equipped to raise confident children...as confident parents. This book needs to take a firm place on the bedside table of every parent. It will powerfully shape the ways we parent our children... and ourselves. Step away from Googling for parenting tips and step towards Dr Martha's words. The warm, confident guidance all parents crave.--Anna Mathur, bestselling author of Mind Over Mother

This is a helpful and supportive guide that encourages and facilitates self-reflection, and offers detailed, practical help with parenting.--Juno

About the Author

Dr Martha Deiros Collado is @dr.martha.psychologist. She has created a hugely successful social media platform sharing connection over control in parenting, based on nearly two decades as a clinical psychologist. She has met with thousands of families in therapy over the course of her career working in pediatric medical teams within the NHS. Over time, her work has changed and adapted, influenced by new scientific developments alongside her learnings from clinical experience she manages to deftly mix scientific knowledge with practical application. Martha has been shaped by an international background, a multi-cultural upbringing and her coming into motherhood.