Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Must Matter More Than Peers – and How to Raise Confident, Connected Children in a Digital World

· Random House
12 reviews
Ebook
368
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

Are your children more influenced by their friends than by you?


Are they struggling with peer pressure, screen time, or staying connected in a digital world?

In Hold On To Your Kids, bestselling author and renowned physician Gabor Maté and child development expert Dr Gordon Neufeld reveal why modern parenting feels harder than ever - and what you can do about it.

WINNER OF THE US NATIONAL PARENTING PUBLICATIONS GOLD AWARD
THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

‘A visionary book...one to be taken very seriously’ Peter A. Levine Ph.D., bestselling author of Guiding Your Child Through Trauma

‘Bold, wise and deeply moral. [Maté] is a healer to be cherished’ Naomi Klein, bestselling The Shock Doctrine

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Today’s children are increasingly looking to their peers, rather than their parents, for direction in their values, identity, and codes of behaviour. But this ‘peer orientation’ can interfere with healthy development, leading to anxiety, disconnection, and behavioural challenges.

In this groundbreaking parenting book, acclaimed physician and bestselling author Gabor Maté joins forces with clinical psychologist and child development expert Dr Gordon Neufeld to explain the cause of this breakdown of parental influence and offer practical advice on how to rebuild a strong, healthy relationship with your child.

Hold On To Your Kids will show you how to:

  • Strengthen your bond and reconnect with your child
  • Help children resist peer pressure and social media influence
  • Build trust, authority and security at home
  • Support your child’s emotional wellbeing and mental health
  • Raise confident, resilient children


This updated edition also includes a new chapter on post-pandemic parenting and youth mental health.

Blending child psychology and real-world advice, this book will empower parents to help their children thrive in the digital era and become a true source of contact, security, and warmth for their kids.

Praise for Hold On To Your Kids:

‘Maté’s book will make you examine your behaviour in a new light’ Guardian

‘Brings us genuinely new ideas and fresh perspectives on parenting’ Dr Mary Pipher, psychologist and bestselling author of Reviving Ophelia

‘Full of easy tips for avoiding calamity’ The Times

‘Has the power to change, if not save, the lives of our children.' US National Post

Are your children more influenced by their friends than by you? Are they struggling with peer pressure, screen time, or staying connected in a digital world? In Hold On To Your Kids, bestselling author and renowned physician Gabor Maté and child development expert Dr Gordon Neufeld reveal why...

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Ratings and reviews

12 reviews
Mira
September 18, 2023
I agree with facts and opinions in book but book is a chore to finish and even though l read a lot of non fiction and I am used to dry texts l was bored to the hell and back. Soooo much repetition without adding much new to the theme. It is explained much more complicated and wordy then really need. l feel beacause of that many people will give up before reaching 5 chapter which is most important. The book should of been edited properly and it would be half length and would be the bible for parenting.
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Saulene Johnston
November 25, 2025
a must read for anyone who has or is thinking about having children.
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About the author

Gabor Maté (Author)


Dr Gabor Maté is a retired physician and bestselling author of five books published across six continents. He is an internationally renowned speaker. His most recent book, The Myth of Normal, has been translated into more than 40 languages and is a New York Times, Sunday Times and international bestseller.
Gordon Neufeld (Author)

Gordon Neufeld PhD, is a Vancouver-based
clinical psychologist, internationally renowned as a foremost authority on child development. His Neufeld Institute delivers many courses he has created for parents, educators, and helping professionals on several continents. He is recognized for his unique ability to unlock the clues to seemingly complex problems of child rearing and education.

Gabor Maté (Author) Dr Gabor Maté is a retired physician and bestselling author of five books published across six continents. He is an internationally renowned speaker. His most recent book, The Myth of Normal, has been translated into more than 40 languages and is a New York Times, Sunday Tim...

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