Taking Back Childhood
A Proven Roadmap for Raising Confident, Creative, Compassionate Kids
1 of 1 copy available
Based on early-childhood development expert Nancy Carlsson-Paige’s thirty years of researching young children, this groundbreaking book helps parents navigate the cultural currents shaping, and too often harming, kids today—and restore childhood to the best of what it can be. As Carlsson-Paige explains, there are three attributes critical to kids’ healthy development: time and space for creative play, a feeling of safety in today’s often frightening world, and strong, meaningful relationships with both adults and other children—attributes that we, as a society, are failing to protect and nurture. From advising parents on which toys foster creativity (and which stifle it) to guiding them in how to use “power-sharing” techniques to resolve conflicts and generate empathy, Carlsson-Paige offers hands-on steps parents can take to create a safe, open, and imaginative environment in which kids can relish childhood and flourish as human beings.
“Dr. Carlsson-Paige explains the many ways our culture and media are threatening our children’s healthy development. She gives adults concrete strategies for fighting back. Today’s parents need this book.”—Marian Wright Edelman, Children’s Defense Fund
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
March 27, 2008 -
Formats
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781101213926
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781101213926
- File size: 677 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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January 21, 2008
Carlsson-Paige, a professor of early childhood education and conflict resolution at Lesley University and consultant for several PBS television shows, has a lot of practical advice for parents who want to build better—nonviolent, caring, creative—relationships with their children. Children don't need electronic gizmos and “brainy” software, she maintains; they do need lots of creative play opportunities, a strong sense of personal security and positive relationships with other children and adults. Carlsson-Paige encourages parents to model problem solving and cooperative behavior for their children. Thus, parents shouldn't use “power over” their kids (issuing orders, calling time-outs), but instead try “power sharing,” getting on the same side of a problem with the kids and figuring out a resolution together. Parents should stop buying pre-scripted media-based toys (Power Rangers, Nemo spinoffs) and instead buy “open-ended toys” like blocks and modeling clay that allow children to expand their creativity. There is not much new here, and Carlsson-Paige is often preaching to the choir, but readers will want to believe in her argument that compassionate parenting will produce a less violent and more humane world.
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