The Emotional Lives of Parents

Dr. Lisa Damour, the New York Times bestselling author of Untangled, Under Pressure, and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, has redefined how we understand adolescence. Now, in this groundbreaking and compassionate guide, she decodes the challenging, often taboo emotions that parents with themselves face.

Raising a child stirs up powerful feelings—many of them intense, many of them uncomfortable, and all of them deeply human. Written for young parents as well as empty nesters, The Emotional Lives of Parents unpacks the feelings we parents rarely discuss—such as anger, envy, and shame—with the same nuance and compassion that has made her a trusted resource for families around the world. Drawing on decades of clinical practice and psychological research, Dr. Damour explores why parenting evokes such strong emotions, how these reactions can either support or undermine our caregiving, and why it’s so vital that parents care for themselves while also caring for their children.

Parents who read this book will learn:

• the psychological science behind the powerful emotions that arise in parenting—from stress and anger to sadness and guilt
• how these emotional reactions shape our ability to provide what our children most need: warmth and structure
• strategies for managing parental feelings in ways that support both adult and child well-being
• what their children truly need—and how to meet those needs while staying centered and emotionally grounded
• how to navigate moments when parental emotions feel overwhelming, unexpected, or out of step with one’s values

Written with clarity, warmth, and clinical wisdom, The Emotional Lives of Parents is a truly distinctive guide that shines a light on the psychological undercurrents that have enormous influence over our daily choices and our sense of ourselves as caregivers. In attending compassionately to parents’ emotions—even the ones that are taboo—Dr. Damour offers parents not judgment, but understanding, and a path toward greater calm, confidence, and connection at home.