No Snow Day for the Brain

This book was created with the hope of sharing an unusual language of empowerment: the language of neuroscience. By understanding what the brain expects, we all have the opportunity to work within our culture, background, personal history, etc., to protect the health of our brains. How many arguments between parents and children could be avoided if we (culturally and as caregivers) just understood a little bit more about what was happening inside our brains? The language of neuroscience teaches us that what we do and how we show up in the world does matter so much in the lives of others. So, whether it’s a different perspective with kids, more patience with a family member, or just being kind to strangers, understanding what the brain expects allows us to work with our own strengths, skills, and resources to better care for ourselves and the people in our lives. The familial relationships in this story do not necessarily represent the world as it is, but perhaps what the world could be if we all intentionally created relationships that honor the brain's most foundational need for secure, consistent care. The hope for this children’s book, NEAR science, and Self-Healing Communities in general, is to cultivate community understanding of the brain, especially regarding the brain’s environmental expectations, so we can all be better caretakers, of ourselves and the people in our lives.