Cooperative Kids, Calm Parents

James Hicks is a parenting educator, writer, and father of three who has spent more than fifteen years helping families move from chaos to connection. His work draws on developmental psychology, attachment theory, and the daily reality of raising children in a world that rarely pauses long enough for parents to catch their breath.

Hicks began his career as an elementary school teacher in Portland, Oregon, where he witnessed firsthand how differently children responded to approaches rooted in connection versus those rooted in control. The kids who thrived most weren't the ones with the strictest consequences. They were the ones who felt seen, heard, and safe enough to take emotional risks. That observation launched a career-long exploration of what actually works in the real world of homes, classrooms, and grocery store meltdowns.

After leaving classroom teaching, Hicks earned a master's degree in child development from the University of Washington and became a certified parent coach, working one-on-one with families struggling with defiance, aggression, anxiety, and the daily friction that erodes the parent-child bond. He has led workshops for thousands of parents across the United States and Canada, served as a consultant for early childhood centers, and written extensively for parenting publications both in print and online.

His approach is distinguished by its practicality. Hicks has little patience for idealized parenting advice that assumes unlimited time, boundless energy, and children who respond perfectly the first time. Instead, he brings warmth, humor, and a deep respect for how hard this work actually is. He believes that good parenting isn't about never messing up. It's about getting back on track with more skill and self-compassion each time.

James lives in Seattle with his wife, their three children, and a golden retriever who has learned to retreat to her crate during particularly chaotic dinner hours. When he's not writing, coaching, or managing his own household's morning routine, you'll find him hiking the trails of the Pacific Northwest or experimenting with pizza dough recipes that his children will inevitably declare inferior to the frozen kind. He considers this ongoing rejection character-building.

He can be reached through his website at jameshicksparenting.com, where he maintains a blog on practical parenting strategies and offers occasional online workshops for parents who want to go deeper into the material covered in this book.