Dimensions
161 x 218 x 28mm
In The Collapse of Parenting, Leonard Sax, an acclaimed expert on parenting and childhood development, identifies a key problem plaguing American children, especially relative to other countries: the dramatic decline in young people’s achievement and psychological health. The root of this problem, Sax contends, lies in the transfer of authority from parents to their children, a shift that has been occurring over the last fifty years and is now impossible to ignore.
In short, according to Sax, parents have failed to teach their children good habits, leaving children with no clear sense of the distinction between right and wrong. But Sax insists there is hope. To start with, parents need to regain a central place in the lives of their young children, displacing same-age peers who can’t provide the same kind of guidance and stability. Parents also need to learn that they can’t be a best friend and a parent at the same time, and, in fact, that they’ll make their children’s lives easier if they focus not on pleasing their kids, but instead on giving them the tools they need to lead happy, healthy lives.
