Punishment-Free Parenting

“Jon Fogel speaks directly to our history of being parented to help release us from old, unhelpful patterns that we may have adopted as we adapted to our own childhood experiences of punishment. With humor and wisdom, our supportive guide emphasizes what discipline is all about—intentional teaching, parental regulation, and attuned relationships—in order to become the parents we wish we’d had. The children growing in such a caring, connecting, and compassionate home will be given the starting point to thrive in the challenging world in which we all now live.”—Daniel J. Siegel, MD, executive director of the Mindsight Institute and founding co-director of the Mindful Awareness Research Center, author of The Whole-Brain Child“[An] empathetic debut … The guidance is compassionate, and Fogel’s exhortation ‘to extend to ourselves the same grace and forgiveness that we aspire to extend to our children’ will help readers work through their own emotional baggage. Parents will find this a balm.”—Publishers Weekly“Punishment-Free Parenting is not only a gift to parents, it’s a gift to humanity. Jon Fogel did what he does best: dig into the scientific research to help us all understand why punishment is a path worth avoiding, and providing other practical and effective paths we can take instead. As a therapist, an author, and a parent, I found this book engaging, helpful, and hopeful. A must-read for anyone determined to give their children a secure experience.”—Eli Harwood, author of Raising Securely Attached Kids and executive director for Jai Institute of Parenting“Through heartfelt stories, practical insights, and research-backed strategies, this book empowers parents to break free from outdated patterns of discipline and embrace a more conscious, compassionate way of guiding their children. It teaches us the profound impact of empathy, repair, and emotional awareness—for our kids and for ourselves.”—Marc Brackett, PhD, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence“Jon Fogel’s Punishment-Free Parenting is a refreshing invita­tion to millennial parents to reimagine how we raise our chil­dren. With profound empathy and insight, Fogel challenges us to step away from unhelpful punitive models and instead embrace the path of conscious, mindful discipline. His ap­proach is both practical and deeply transformative, empow­ering parents to nurture cooperation and trust without fear or shame. A powerful guide for those on the journey to awaken themselves to a better way to parent.”—Dr. Shefali, New York Times bestselling author of The Conscious Parent“Every parent needs this book. The fresh approach to parent­ing is a lifesaver!”—Vanessa Van Edwards, bestselling author of Cues“Punishment-Free Parenting is a research-based book rich with storytelling and effective examples. It’s an absolute must-read written by the perfect expert for everyone in a caregiving relationship who strives for true connection while breaking generational cycles.”—Eve Rodsky, New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space

Jon Fogel is a husband, a father of four beautiful children, and a parenting educator. His goal is to teach how to parent more effectively—with less stress and more success. In his teaching, Jon combines modern neuroscience, developmental psychology, counseling, and positive, gentle parenting wisdom, distilling the science into terms every parent can understand. Fogel is the senior pastor at Hope Covenant Church in Orland Park, Illinois. Previously, he served as a hospital chaplain in the greater Chicago area. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from North Park Theological Seminary.