Why do some families work better than others? What are the ingredients for a fulfilling family life? In this wide-ranging and practical book, respected counsellor and agony aunt Suzie Hayman explains how you can make your family work, whatever stage of life you are in.

This book is about you and your family - your development, your children's development, your relationships not only with your partner and immediate family but with those who raised you and those you care for and about. We'll be looking at the vital questions; How do children develop? How do families bond? How do our experiences as children help or hinder us later in life? What happens in your family of origin to give you and the best start and continuing opportunities, and how do those influences affect your ability to help your own children go on to thrive and develop? What are the issues that come up in everyday life between you and your family, and how may understanding why you behave and feel the way you do allow you to control what happens, for the best?

Suzie Hayman has been a trained counsellor for over 15 years, and is the agony aunt for Woman magazine. She is a spokesperson/trustee for Family Lives, and a trustee of The Who Cares Trust, for "looked after" children. She is superbly connected and regularly appears in the broadcast media, and was the counsellor on the BBC1 show Stepfamilies. She has written over 20 books, including several Teach Yourself titles that have done well in the UK and the US.