Child Focus in Family Systems: Communication Strategies and Analysis

The book highlights a shift in focus from traditional dyadic (mother–child) interactions to a more complex, systemic family perspective, which emphasises the triad (child and at least two coparenting adults). It discusses the significance of coordination between the adults and how the child influences family dynamics from an early age.

In traditional interaction research, the nuclear family has been the common starting point, and primarily the interaction in the mother-child dyad has been studied. Child Focus in Family Systems: Communication Strategies and Analysis highlights a paradigm shift where research and clinical practice have evolved into a broader and more complex, systemic family perspective. In this, the triad is central, meaning the interaction between the child and at least two adults in a coparenting relationship. The book shows how important coordination between the adults is for the child’s well-being. What does parenting look like in conflict or in moments of harmony and joy? How does this affect the child? And what influence does the child have on family dynamics?

In the early chapters of the book, the meanings of attachment, interaction, and synchrony in the interaction are described. The complexity of communication is highlighted, as well as how the child’s brain develops and how this affects the interaction. In the later chapters, the family system and the significance of the triadic interaction for the child’s development are described. Here, it is shown how the couple and parental relationship affect the child and vice versa. The importance of coordinated coparenting is emphasised, but also how the child, from a very early age, is an active participant, influencing the parents’ interaction and communication. A number of case vignettes beautifully illustrate the importance of the theory in child–parent interaction. This important and sensitively written book is a must-read for students and professionals in social services, child psychiatry, and healthcare involved in family support and parenting work.