The debate between helicopter parents versus free-range parents causes confusion for parents who want to find the middle ground while raising independent kids, without being wracked with worry and guilt. Somewhere between Free Range Kids and Perfect Madness is the need for a book that addresses how to parent with common sense in our culture of paranoia. The Paranoid Parent's Guide is that book.
When surveyed by the author Christie Barnes, 75 percent of parents said they worried about "everything" when it came to their kids. Things like: Is this really the right school? Will that splinter get infected? Will they get kidnapped playing in the front yard? Or the mall? Is my fifth-grader ready for sex-ed at school? Do we need a tutor? Is my child gifted? How could we forget the sight words we practiced this summer? Do I need to buy organic everything?
Paranoid Parents founder Christie Barnes knows the truth: Most parents are wasting their time and energy worrying about the wrong things. Based on information gleened from years of research, she will give parents a much-needed reality check, opening their eyes to the real dangers lurking that are more likely to impact their children-and what they can do about them.
She will help paranoid parents to come clean about their biggest fears, reveal the true dangers their kids face at every stage as opposed to the Myth Makers, and offer realistic ways to safeguard their kids without stealing their childhoods. By rallying against a culture of fear with the facts, the Paranoid Parents Guide will help moms and dads enjoy parenthood more, and allow their kids develop the healthy straits of resiliency, independence, and good decision making that are essential-yet lacking-in today's society. So stop worrying about a shark attack...because your child is more likely to be injured by a shopping cart. Think that ice hockey is more dangerous than cheering? Think again. Stop spending sleepless nights worried about stranger danger and learn why child-proofing your house is actually a very bad idea.
As Barnes will prove, it's easier to enjoy parenthood when you are prepared; not paranoid.
