Voice Lessons for Parents: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Listen

In her latest book, Voice Lessons for Parents: What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Listen, Wendy Model, Ph.D offers an essential guide to the new art of talking to children, and shows how a change in voice can transform conversations and ease the relationship between parents and children. Several years ago, Dr. Mogel began giving “voice lessons” to parents who were struggling with their kids, demonstrating how a shift in tone, tempo, and body language led to a surprising outcome: the children responded by cooperating with greater alacrity, and communicating with more warmth, respect and sincerity.

In Voice Lessons, Dr. Mogel elaborates on this novel clinical approach, revealing how each age and stage of a child’s life brings new opportunities to connect through language. Delving into sources as diverse as neuroscience, fairy tales, and anthropology, she offers specific guidance for talking to children across the expanse of childhood and adolescence. She also explains the best ways to talk about your child to grandparents, partners, and exes, and to teachers, coaches, and caretakers. Throughout the book, Dr. Mogel addresses an obstacle that flummoxes even the most seasoned and confident parent: the distraction of digital devices, how they impact our connection with our families, and identifying and implementing effective strategies for changing behaviors.

Dr. Mogel is a practicing social-clinical psychologist, international public speaker, and the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Blessing of a Skinned Knee and The Blessing of a B Minus.