The New York Times bestselling author of The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well explores how today’s parenting techniques and our myopic educational system are failing to prepare children for their certain-to-be-uncertain future—and how we can reverse course to ensure their lasting adaptability, resilience, health and happiness.
These are all smart, sensible ideas, if (to me, at least) sometimes obvious; as the mother of two younger 20-somethings, I found this book alternately interesting, important and a bit wistful or idealistic. I appreciate and share Levine’s claim that in our rush to 'keep striving, keep moving,' we’ve 'lost the capacity for introspection.' But I disagree that contemporary mothers with meaningful careers suffer when our children leave home because we 'haven’t built a scaffolding to take us from one phase of our lives to the next'; my 'scaffolding' was my work, and I appreciate now having time for it, and for myself, in ways I didn’t for decades ... whether you agree with some or all of her ideas, Levine offers eye-opening stats and welcome wisdom to parents raising children in an increasingly unpredictable world. If this book finds its way to those who most need it, surely we will all benefit.
... addresses this challenge with thoughtful, relevant guidance ...With thorough research backing her up, Levine delivers advice with intelligence and compassion, but also with realistic expectations of what it’s like to parent as well as grow up in today’s world. Best of all, she masterfully balances this realism with positivity. Another invaluable resource from Levine.
... a practical, wise manual aimed at helping anxious parents with their often equally anxious kids ... With empathy, Levine explores the valid anxiety parents and children feel about facing a 'world of disconcerting unpredictability and upheaval' and lays out the 'foundational' skills children need to develop: critical thinking, curiosity, creativity, flexibility, educated risk-taking, collaboration, perseverance, self-regulation, and the 'ultimate life skills: hope and optimism' ... While the issues raised are relatively familiar, Levine pulls together a solid set of recommendations for dealing with them. Plenty of parents will benefit from her treatise on how to prepare children for an uncertain future.
