Parenting is something you do. Family is something you are.—TRACY HOGG

Before her untimely death in 2004, Tracy—aka the Baby Whisperer—and her longtime collaborator, journalist Melinda Blau, conceived a fourth book that would apply the commonsense principles of baby whispering to the “whole family.” This ground-breaking book explains why “family” is defined by much more than the relationship between parent and child. By widening the lens to focus on the family as an entity, Blau uses the Baby Whisperer philosophy to illuminate how the multiple bonds and interactions that unfold within a household of adults and children coalesce to form a larger family dynamic. By taking this wider perspective, she enables readers to see everyday challenges—such as sibling rivalry, communication, and time management—with fresh eyes.

Informed both by research and stories of real families, this new book is filled with the handy tips and memorable acronyms that Baby Whisperer fans have come to expect. The advice is simple, practical, and often counterintuitive (asking kids to help more around the home can make them happier; setbacks can often make a family closer). The hopeful message is that with insight, awareness, and “family-think,” we can actually design our families to be happier and more productive, improving the daily lives of parents and kids—and, thereby, benefiting society as a whole in the process.