Every now and then, a parenting book comes along that restores sanity to family life. Aliza Pressman’s The 5 Principles of Parenting is one of those rare guides that blend science with common sense.

A developmental psychologist and co-founder of the Mount Sinai Parenting Center in New York, Pressman’s message is simple: good parenting is not about perfection, it is about presence. “Your child’s behaviour is not about you,” she writes: “but your behaviour is always about your child.” Instead of chasing flawless routines or comparing milestones, she asks parents to focus on five habits: Relationship, Reflection, Regulation, Rules, and Repair. Together, they form what she calls the scaffolding of emotional resilience.

Pressman admits that all parents lose their temper and all families experience rupture. What matters is the repair, the apology, the reconnection, the willingness to try again. “Repair,” she writes: “is the most powerful parenting tool you have.”

For South African parents navigating stress, screens, and economic strain, this is a useful manual for leadership at home. Pressman’s research reminds us that children do not need perfect parents; they need responsive ones who steady the weather inside the home, even when the world outside feels unpredictable.