BOOK REVIEW ARCHIVE

Free Range Kids is an excellent, easy to read narrative of facts and funny anecdotes that humorously illustrate how to raise safe, self-reliant children without going nuts with worry. The well-organized content helps parents develop the framework necessary to raise independent children and is a statistically driven and anecdotally illustrated narrative derived from experts who are authoritative in the field of child development and child safety. The recommended practices are presented within the context of the prevailing societal pressure against free range parenting, offering relevant tips and advice that assist in finding the right balance between parenting comfort level and the needs of their children. The book is split into two sections. The first section details 14 key principles and the second section assists the parent in implementing best practices.

Grit artfully defines the dichotomy between our culture’s emphasis on natural talent and the actual driving force behind achievement with one simple dictum: effort counts twice. It is more than just a catchy phrase and is the literal mathematical basis for the author’s scientific research. When the world sees something truly amazing, it is often attributed to the innate talent of the performer without consideration of the effort that went into what appeared superhuman. Real achievement is built on an individual’s grit, an area of burgeoning psychological research. Grit is defined by passion and perseverance but is made up of four key components: interest, practice, purpose, and hope. The author illustrates her key suppositions with relevant psychological and social psychological research, interviews with leaders in various occupations and fields of study, and warm anecdotes from her personal experience, all while offering concrete examples of how we can develop our own grit and the parenting skills to nurture the same in our children.

Make believe play is vital because it permits children to truly be themselves, it optimally contributes to their growth and development, and the benefits of creating an environment conducive to imaginary play have clear long-term benefits. Children are active learners who acquire knowledge by examining and exploring the environment and play allows one to bring forth what British pediatrician and psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott calls dream potential: the expression of our deepest wishes, hopes, fears, fantasies without the risk of real-world consequences. Play is mastery and the sense of gaining greater self-control through repetitive actions that help surmount challenges in an environment which is secure but relaxed enough to enable spontaneity.

Nobody seems to like the relentless, unhappy pace of American parenting. So why do we it? In the 1990s there was a mass of data and public rhetoric saying that poor kids fall behind in school because they don’t get enough stimulation, especially in the early years. Middle class parents took this to mean that their own kids would benefit from more stimulation. Around the same period the gap between rich and poor Americans was getting much wider. Suddenly, it seemed parents needed to groom their children to join the new elite, exposing children to the right stuff early on and perhaps ahead of children the same age. Alongside the negative impact of competitive parenting, was a growing belief that children are psychologically fragile. Although violent crime has plunged in the US, the nightly news gives the impression that children were in grave physical risk. These societal and environmental pressures make American parenting a bit neurotic. The author found an alternative method of parenting with uniquely French sensibilities, that placed a healthy focus on letting parents maintain their individuality. It helps the parents keep their sanity and a sense that their whole life is not just child-centered, but one in which family and individual needs must be met as well.