Hello, Cruel World!
Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times
-
- 3,99 €
-
- 3,99 €
Publisher Description
In the blink of an eye, our kids will be adults facing countless serious threats - climate change, political polarization and disinformation, to name but a few. We're not going to be able to solve all these intractable problems before our kids grow up - so how are we to prepare them for an impossibly complex and scary future?
Plagued by this question, award-winning science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer interviewed parenting experts and researchers across multiple fields - psychology, education, information literacy, technology, business and even addiction. What she discovered: even in these uncertain times, we can still teach our kids how to take care of themselves, fight for what they believe in and bridge divides in ways most adults aren't equipped to do.
In Hello, Cruel World!, Moyer provides practical, comprehensive, science-backed tools to help our children handle the world they will inherit. Her strategies help children develop three core attributes - coping mechanisms, connection techniques, and cultivation practices - so that kids can learn to set boundaries, take responsibility for their actions, build healthy relationships in turbulent times and much more. By being activists in our parenting, we can set our kids up to not just survive, but also build a better world for themselves and future generations.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Moyer (How to Raise Kids Who Aren't Assholes), a journalist and mother of two, delivers a robust survey of the scientific research on raising children. Citing studies that found self-compassionate kids bounce back more quickly from challenges, Moyer urges parents to teach their children to treat themselves kindly by praising them for effort rather than achievement, which communicates that mistakes are an inevitable part of improvement and that kids shouldn't berate themselves when they happen. To assist children with navigating the digital world, Moyer contends that parents should evaluate whether their children are mature enough to understand a device's risks before giving them one and instill media literacy by prompting kids to consider such questions as "Why was this made, and why is it being presented this way?" The reliance on academic studies bolsters the guidance, and the focus on raising good community members places a distinctive emphasis on social justice. For instance, she recommends educating children about the structural causes of gender, racial, and economic inequities, pointing out research showing that kids as young as three-and-a-half pick up on the privileged social status of certain identity groups and assume such disparities reflect differences in ability unless told otherwise. Parents would do well to check out this rigorous manual.
