Prepared for Parenthood

Interview with Michael Trout: An Infant Mental Health Expert Shares Thoughts on Navigating Early Parenthood with Empathy, Reasonable Expectations, & Our Own Brilliance

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Summary

With more than four decades of expertise and experience working in the Infant Mental Health field, Michael Trout, director of the Infant-Parent Institute, shares some of his wisdom with expectant and new parents. He explains why empathy can be a new parent's or caregiver's greatest ally in their relationship with their child, and why leaning into our own brilliance as parents may help us more than any book or advice from well-meaning people. Michael also shares his thoughts about helping adoptive children, who by definition come to their new families with loss, and why empathy and reasonable expectations are so critical.

Keywords

parenting, new parents, empathy, infant mental health, babies, adoptive parents, adopted children, prenatal bonding

Takeaways

  • Empathy may be a parent's or caregiver's greatest ally in their relationship with their child.
  • Leaning into our own brilliance as a parent or caregiver may be more important than any book you can read or advice you may receive from a well-meaning person.
  • More than four decades of work with families in the Infant Mental Health field have supported Michael Trout's belief that validating and asking the right questions can help people find their own brilliance as parents and caregivers.
  • Adoptive children by definition come to their new families with loss. Having reasonable expectations of the special circumstances of what raising an adopted child may entail helps support both the child and the adoptive parents.

    • Guest Contact

    Michael Trout: www.infant-parent.com


    Host Contact

    Dr. Stephanie Dueger

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    Prepared for ParenthoodBy Dr. Stephanie Dueger