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- BOOKS -
HOW TO RAISE AN ADULT,
JULIE LYTHCOTT-HAIMS
WHERE YOU GO IS NOT WHO YOU'LL BE,
FRANK BRUNI
THE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MIND,
GREG LUKIANOFF AND JONATHAN HAIDT
GRIT,
ANGELA DUCKWORTH
FREE TO LEARN,
PETER GRAY
I-GEN,
JEAN M. TWENGE
THE BIG DISCONNECT, CATHERINE STEINER-ADAIR
FREE-RANGE KIDS,
LENORE SKENAZY
STAYING GROUNDED,
MICHAEL HYNES
- ARTICLES -
News related to parenting, childhood, free play, mental health and education.
A PACKED SCHEDULE DOESN'T REALLY "ENRICH" YOUR CHILD
New York Times, July 2021
Coming back to the post-pandemic world can be a great chance to take a break from the screens and couch. However, filling your child's schedule with extracurricular activities might just worsen their mental health.
New York Times, November 2020
The pandemic offers the opportunity to embrace outdoor play, even as temperatures drop. Wondering how to start? See these tips from hikers, campers, and explorers for getting your youngsters outside and keeping them warm!
The Atlantic, October 2020
A recent study found that depression rates were down among teens during the pandemic, which experts attribute to the increased sleep and family time that virtual schooling allowed for.
The Atlantic, September 2020
Baby-boomer parents spearheaded the hands-on parenting style, ushering in a culture of young adults who often struggle to stand on their own.
Time, September 2020
In a tough economy exacerbated by the global pandemic, more young adults are living at home than ever before, surpassing the previous record set in the Great Depression.
New York Times, July 2020
Many kids have naturally incorporated germs, masks, and social distancing into their make-believe games, allowing them to process coronavirus's complexities through imagination and free play.
New York Times, July 2020
With the pandemic pulling parents in different directions, kids have inadvertently been given the opportunity to test limits sans parental hovering.
The Atlantic, July 2020
What happens when your child announces they don’t want to go to college? One parent weighs the many pros of accepting this decision.
The Atlantic, May 2020
With summer internships, training programs, and seasonal jobs shuttered due to coronavirus, members of Generation Z will struggle to sustain themselves this summer. Many will suffer lasting economic effects.
The Atlantic, May 2020
In response to a devastated young reader's submission, columnist Lori Gottlieb reminds us that "When one door closes, another one opens," even when it comes to college acceptance madness.
Forbes, May 2020
In addition to its practical challenges, at-home learning during COVID-19 threatens to interfere with children's social and emotional development, posing potential long-term mental health risks for today's young people.
The Atlantic, April 2020
With rates of anxiety, depression and suicide on the rise for young people in recent decades, research suggests that specific changes in parenting can offer potential solutions to this crisis.
Also see The Atlantic's recent press release on this issue for some quick facts.
Huffington Post, April 2020
In the midst of the pandemic's online and at-home schooling, parents and children can press pause, choosing instead to practice some simple life lessons together: baking a cake, growing a plant, or even just listening to an audiobook. These types of activities teach children how to interact with the world around them.
New York Times, April 2020
Opinion: "I’m hoping this moment launches a change in the way we raise and train all our young, at all ages. I’m hoping it exorcises the tide of 'safetyism,' which has gone overboard."
New York Times, April 2020
Quarantine offers a unique opportunity for parents to teach their kids how to occupy themselves, on their own, in an unstructured environment. This gives parents a break and gives children the life-long skill of self-sufficiency.
The Atlantic, December 2019
In a culture that increasingly focuses on competition and achievement, today’s young people often fail to develop a strong sense of empathy. Parents can counter this by consciously reinforcing the value of kindness.
- DATA -
Research, studies and articles examining statistical trends in parenting and childhood.
The Washington Post, 2015
Frank Bruni's research finds that only about one third of CEOs at top Fortune 500 companies graduated from Ivy League universities.
Forbes, 2019
"For parents and students who believe getting into an Ivy League school is a requirement for success, the educational paths of the F100 CEOs suggest otherwise."
Boston Globe, 2015
The 2015 Harvard Grant study found that those who completed chores and household tasks in childhood grew up to be happier adults with greater success in the workplace.
Inc., 2017
The Harvard study specifically identified "work ethic" as a strong predictor of future success and happiness.
Pew Research Center, Social & Demographic Trends, 2019
"While 61% of adults who have children ages 18 to 29 say parents are doing too much for their young adult children these days, only 28% say they themselves do too much for their young adult children."
Time, 2019
"Between 2009 and 2017, rates of depression among kids ages 14 to 17 increased by more than 60%."
Pew Research Center, 2019
A staggering 20% of teenage girls reported experiencing at least one major depressive episode over the past year in 2017, compared to just 7% of teenage boys.
The New York Times, 2018
"Social scientists say the relentlessness of modern-day parenting has a powerful motivation: economic anxiety. For the first time, it’s as likely as not that American children will be less prosperous than their parents."
The Atlantic, 2016
In 1980, 30% of kindergarten teachers expected their students to know how to read by the end of the year. By 2010, this figure had jumped to 80% of kindergarten teachers.
The Atlantic, 2016
With 51% of public school students at or below the federal poverty line, educators recognize the importance of instilling grit in the classroom, preparing kids to face an economically uncertain reality.
Slate, 2015
"Recent studies suggest that kids with over-involved parents and rigidly structured childhoods suffer psychological blowback in college."
Slate, 2014
A Slate survey finds that parents born in the 1970s experienced childhood freedoms that they now don't allow their own children, like going to a playground alone or using the stove.