Being parents from the heart

“Parenting from the Heart” is a short guide by Inbal Kashtan, translated from English by Michael Dillo and published by Junfermann Verlag. Across 66 pages, it tackles situations you constantly face as a parent: the two-year-old who grabs every toy someone else is playing with, the four-year-old who screams in anger the moment her little brother cries, the ten-year-old who repeatedly fails to do his homework, or the question of how to ensure that your children remain open with you during their teenage years whilst still feeling safe.

Kashtan writes about self-empathy, managing one’s own anger, and the protective use of power – three topics that are constantly relevant in everyday parenting. She offers practical solutions that take into account the needs of everyone involved, not just those of the children.

Inbal Kashtan coordinated the parenting programmes at the Centre for Nonviolent Communication, delivered NVC training courses and developed seminar programmes. Her most important teacher in recent years has been her own son; through him, she has come to understand for herself what it means to live non-violently. Together with her sisters Arnina and Miki, she was one of the NVC trainers who worked with Marshall Rosenberg for many years.