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Toxic Childhood
One in six children in the developed world is diagnosed as having 'developmental or behavioural problems' - this book explains why and shows what can be done about it.
Children throughout the developed world are instances of obesity, dyslexia, ADHD, bad behaviour and so on are all on the rise. And it's not simply that our willingness to diagnose has increased; there are very real and growing problems.
Sue Palmer, a former head teacher and literacy expert, has researched a whole range of problem areas, from poor diet, lack of exercise and sleep deprivation to a range of modern difficulties that are having a major television, computer games, mobile phones. This combination of factors, added to the increasingly busy and stressed life of parents, means that we are developing a toxic new generation.
TOXIC CHILDHOOD illustrates the latest research from around the world and provides answers for worried parents as to how they can protect their families from the problems of the modern world and help ensure that their children emerge as healthy, intelligent and pleasant adults.
Children throughout the developed world are instances of obesity, dyslexia, ADHD, bad behaviour and so on are all on the rise. And it's not simply that our willingness to diagnose has increased; there are very real and growing problems.
Sue Palmer, a former head teacher and literacy expert, has researched a whole range of problem areas, from poor diet, lack of exercise and sleep deprivation to a range of modern difficulties that are having a major television, computer games, mobile phones. This combination of factors, added to the increasingly busy and stressed life of parents, means that we are developing a toxic new generation.
TOXIC CHILDHOOD illustrates the latest research from around the world and provides answers for worried parents as to how they can protect their families from the problems of the modern world and help ensure that their children emerge as healthy, intelligent and pleasant adults.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
102 people are currently reading
1457 people want to read
About the author
Sue Palmer
312 books7 followersSue Palmer is a former primary headteacher in the Borders of Scotland. She is a literacy specialist, writer, presenter and 'childhood campaigner'. She has written widely on aspects of literacy. She chaired the Scottish Play Commission, served on the Scottish Government's Early Years Task Force and currently chairs the Upstart Scotland campaign.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
November 18, 2015
Okay, let me start by saying I didn’t entirely hate this book.
The author puts forward some good points that I completely agree with, particularly where the educational system is concerned. She talks about how there is too much emphasis on standardised testing; how there are too many children to a class, meaning that teachers can’t meet individual children’s needs; how physical education has become too “academicised”, with teachers focussing more on technique than overall fitness and enjoyment of sports, which in turn leads to children becoming disillusioned with PE and then avoiding it.
She also makes some good points about how outside play is limited for children these days, due to excessive anxiety (from parents and children alike) about the dangers of the outside world, and how children’s mental health can be affected by negative stories on the news.
It was also refreshing to see someone who believes that the use of text language won’t negatively impact a child’s general ability to read and write.
But – and this is a big but – I felt that her good points were lost amongst the barely concealed classism, her lack of respect for people with disabilities and her general ignorance about technology and media aimed at children. Her use of alarmist language was also, quite simply, alarming.
In the introduction alone, Palmer refers to autistic people as “sadly primitive” and goes on to refer to “normal children” who progress towards “civilised self-control.” Her attitude towards children with ADHD is greatly unsympathetic, and she outlines her concerns about children with developmental disorders going on to become criminals. Her issues with Ritalin being over-prescribed are – rather than being that doctors often prescribe drugs to children without considering their background or mental health – the fact that it’s expensive and that they may go on to become drug addicts in the future. She cites two rock stars as her evidence of this. Rock stars.
The language Palmer uses to describe the poor is often nothing short of derisive. She implies that “those at the bottom of the social heap” are mainly alcoholics and drug addicts to whom “sociable chitchat with a child is an unthinkable waste of time.” She downright dehumanises impoverished children, labelling them “feral” (although this treatment isn’t exclusive to the poor as, in other chapters, we see children described as “barbarians” and “miserable little creatures”) and more or less writes them off, despite the “mind the gap” sections’ apparent aim being to help.
I could go on at length about her ignorance of technology and media aimed at children, but I’m trying to remain at least vaguely objective, so I’ll just talk about the author’s bizarre idea that boys are “naturally drawn to technology” whilst girls “can be attracted to a computer by websites such as Barbie’s EverythingGirl site.” (And also the fact that she believes that Cardcaptors is aimed at boys because it appeals to the competitive instinct of the human male, and “little boys’ inbuilt desire for ‘power, force, mastery, domination, control…’” Yes, Cardcaptors. The magical girl anime that was initially aimed at young girls, but upon being brought over to the West was edited to appeal to young boys as well. But certainly not exclusively. Oh dear.)
The final issue I’d like to touch upon in this lengthyrant review is the author’s incredible ability to read minds. In the introduction, and later the final pages of the book, she skilfully deduces that a slightly grumpy-looking child on the steps of the Uffizi Gallery must want nothing more than to “curl up in front of a widescreen TV and lose herself in something mindless” despite her parents being gracious enough to “drag” (her words, not mine) her across Europe to see some of the Western civilisation’s greatest treasures. Apparently, her seeming disinterest makes it clear that she is a narcissistic brat. And the speculation as to how she became this way is pretty insulting when you consider that some children just… aren’t all that into art.
There are so many more things I could say about this book; however, in conclusion, this book raised some hugely important points, but was bogged down by all that pesky hyperbole and derision for… vast sections of our population. If you’re interested in reading a book that presents a slightly less alarmist and biased view of childhood, I’d recommend reading “The Story of Childhood: Growing Up in Modern Britain” by Libby Brooks.
The author puts forward some good points that I completely agree with, particularly where the educational system is concerned. She talks about how there is too much emphasis on standardised testing; how there are too many children to a class, meaning that teachers can’t meet individual children’s needs; how physical education has become too “academicised”, with teachers focussing more on technique than overall fitness and enjoyment of sports, which in turn leads to children becoming disillusioned with PE and then avoiding it.
She also makes some good points about how outside play is limited for children these days, due to excessive anxiety (from parents and children alike) about the dangers of the outside world, and how children’s mental health can be affected by negative stories on the news.
It was also refreshing to see someone who believes that the use of text language won’t negatively impact a child’s general ability to read and write.
But – and this is a big but – I felt that her good points were lost amongst the barely concealed classism, her lack of respect for people with disabilities and her general ignorance about technology and media aimed at children. Her use of alarmist language was also, quite simply, alarming.
In the introduction alone, Palmer refers to autistic people as “sadly primitive” and goes on to refer to “normal children” who progress towards “civilised self-control.” Her attitude towards children with ADHD is greatly unsympathetic, and she outlines her concerns about children with developmental disorders going on to become criminals. Her issues with Ritalin being over-prescribed are – rather than being that doctors often prescribe drugs to children without considering their background or mental health – the fact that it’s expensive and that they may go on to become drug addicts in the future. She cites two rock stars as her evidence of this. Rock stars.
The language Palmer uses to describe the poor is often nothing short of derisive. She implies that “those at the bottom of the social heap” are mainly alcoholics and drug addicts to whom “sociable chitchat with a child is an unthinkable waste of time.” She downright dehumanises impoverished children, labelling them “feral” (although this treatment isn’t exclusive to the poor as, in other chapters, we see children described as “barbarians” and “miserable little creatures”) and more or less writes them off, despite the “mind the gap” sections’ apparent aim being to help.
I could go on at length about her ignorance of technology and media aimed at children, but I’m trying to remain at least vaguely objective, so I’ll just talk about the author’s bizarre idea that boys are “naturally drawn to technology” whilst girls “can be attracted to a computer by websites such as Barbie’s EverythingGirl site.” (And also the fact that she believes that Cardcaptors is aimed at boys because it appeals to the competitive instinct of the human male, and “little boys’ inbuilt desire for ‘power, force, mastery, domination, control…’” Yes, Cardcaptors. The magical girl anime that was initially aimed at young girls, but upon being brought over to the West was edited to appeal to young boys as well. But certainly not exclusively. Oh dear.)
The final issue I’d like to touch upon in this lengthy
There are so many more things I could say about this book; however, in conclusion, this book raised some hugely important points, but was bogged down by all that pesky hyperbole and derision for… vast sections of our population. If you’re interested in reading a book that presents a slightly less alarmist and biased view of childhood, I’d recommend reading “The Story of Childhood: Growing Up in Modern Britain” by Libby Brooks.
April 24, 2021
This book had been sitting on my “to read” shelf for quite some time. So as I went through my personal digital decluttering project I decided to tackle this tome to gather some additional insight on managing the digital world with my kids.
I definitely formed a love/hate relationship with the content and the presentation of Toxic Childhood Syndrome in this book.
On the one hand, the topics covered in this book are in dire need of focus in our culture. Children spend far too much time being entertained by screens, schools are a wreck around every turn, children are physically away from their family unit in increasingly larger volumes of time, families eat garbage for food and almost never have meals together, children hardly ever play outside, everyone is sleep-deprived and the aggressive marketing toward children should be illegal. The author comments on how we need “family focused economies instead of economy focused families.” A sentiment I wholly agree with. So I greatly appreciated the author’s research, reflection and discussion in these many areas.
On the other hand, this author is regularly at odds with feminists (which she herself says in the book) because her primary premise is that all moms should be stay at home moms, especially in the first years of childhood. She appears to believe that the spiral into Toxic Childhood Syndrome began with women entering the workforce. And while she discusses Capitalism and the grinding cultural obsession with money over childhood, she does not acknowledge that these problems are not the responsibility of women alone.
It’s great to play outside and not have screens and eat real foods at scheduled mealtimes and to avoid substitute caregivers: but you MUST have a stay at home parent to do 99% of what she suggests/discusses in this book. And she implies (extensively) that it is mothers who are needed at home because of their inherent skill sets.
I think that’s what was niggling in the back of my mind as I slogged through all the depressing research and stories in this book. It cannot ONLY be the parents’ responsibility to value family. Indeed parents cannot do it alone. Society at large must value family (specifically children) in order for this philosophy to work. And while the author does admit this, she also goes on for hundreds of pages on what “parents” need to be doing. In essence; what WOMEN should be doing. And her primary suggestion is mothers should stay at home and reclaim childhood for their children. There is a glaring lack of discussion about fathers and how exactly women can afford to stay home considering that the act of staying home with your children does not pay to keep a roof over their heads.
Even though there are sections addressing issues with low income households, the entire book premise is not applicable without some level of privilege. Her classist language and assumptions, coupled with her judgmental diatribes on low income families make her feel untrustworthy and aggressive.
By the conclusion, the book just ended up feeling like a giant catalogue of everything that parents just need to do better. And frankly most parents (specifically mothers) are exhausted of being told they aren’t doing well enough when society supports none of us.
And for the record: feminists (like myself) do not dislike the suggestion that children should be well cared for and valued. What we object to is the implication that it is the sole responsibility of women to raise contributing members of society often to the detriment of their own financial security, mental health and independence. Balance is crucial. And that’s what is lacking in both society and this written work.
I definitely formed a love/hate relationship with the content and the presentation of Toxic Childhood Syndrome in this book.
On the one hand, the topics covered in this book are in dire need of focus in our culture. Children spend far too much time being entertained by screens, schools are a wreck around every turn, children are physically away from their family unit in increasingly larger volumes of time, families eat garbage for food and almost never have meals together, children hardly ever play outside, everyone is sleep-deprived and the aggressive marketing toward children should be illegal. The author comments on how we need “family focused economies instead of economy focused families.” A sentiment I wholly agree with. So I greatly appreciated the author’s research, reflection and discussion in these many areas.
On the other hand, this author is regularly at odds with feminists (which she herself says in the book) because her primary premise is that all moms should be stay at home moms, especially in the first years of childhood. She appears to believe that the spiral into Toxic Childhood Syndrome began with women entering the workforce. And while she discusses Capitalism and the grinding cultural obsession with money over childhood, she does not acknowledge that these problems are not the responsibility of women alone.
It’s great to play outside and not have screens and eat real foods at scheduled mealtimes and to avoid substitute caregivers: but you MUST have a stay at home parent to do 99% of what she suggests/discusses in this book. And she implies (extensively) that it is mothers who are needed at home because of their inherent skill sets.
I think that’s what was niggling in the back of my mind as I slogged through all the depressing research and stories in this book. It cannot ONLY be the parents’ responsibility to value family. Indeed parents cannot do it alone. Society at large must value family (specifically children) in order for this philosophy to work. And while the author does admit this, she also goes on for hundreds of pages on what “parents” need to be doing. In essence; what WOMEN should be doing. And her primary suggestion is mothers should stay at home and reclaim childhood for their children. There is a glaring lack of discussion about fathers and how exactly women can afford to stay home considering that the act of staying home with your children does not pay to keep a roof over their heads.
Even though there are sections addressing issues with low income households, the entire book premise is not applicable without some level of privilege. Her classist language and assumptions, coupled with her judgmental diatribes on low income families make her feel untrustworthy and aggressive.
By the conclusion, the book just ended up feeling like a giant catalogue of everything that parents just need to do better. And frankly most parents (specifically mothers) are exhausted of being told they aren’t doing well enough when society supports none of us.
And for the record: feminists (like myself) do not dislike the suggestion that children should be well cared for and valued. What we object to is the implication that it is the sole responsibility of women to raise contributing members of society often to the detriment of their own financial security, mental health and independence. Balance is crucial. And that’s what is lacking in both society and this written work.
July 20, 2016
This book makes so much sense. Non-judgmental, practical guidance and advice for raising your kids in as healthy a way as can be achieved in today's toxic society. A must-read for new parents, or those a little further along!
December 8, 2019
هذا واحد من الكتب المهمة التي قرأتها هذا العام , وقد كنت وجدت اشارة إلى هذا الكتاب في كتاب تغيير العقل , من سلسلة عالم المعرفة و من قبيل الصدفة وجدت الكتاب في المكتبة القريبة من منزلي و شرعت بقراءته , الكتاب يتحدث عن بصورة عامة عن اساليب و طرق ومحاذير رعاية الطفل الصغير و خاصة في مراحله الاولى من الوعي , فيتحدث الكتاب عن التغير الكبير الذي طرأ على عادات النوم والطعام و اللعب و التعليم والرعاية بسبب طوارىء العصر الحالي ويقدم الكتير من النصائح العملية لكيفية معالجة الكثير من تلك المشاكل ويوضح ماهي الظروف الامثل و الطرق الاسلسل لمعالجة هذا الخلل , وتعزو الكاتبة بصورة عامة كل هذه المشاكل لما تسميه العاصفة التي عصفت بالاهل و هي بسبب 1- التغير التكنولوجي السريع , 2- الرأسمالية الاستهلاكية التنافسية بشكل متزايد , 3- الحركة المستمرة للأمهات خارج المنزل نحو حقل العمل , و تقول ان هذه العاصفة خلقت فضاء جديد للتربية لا يعلم الاهل كيف يتصرفون به وهذا الكتاب كتب لكي يمد يد العون في هذا الخوص , الكتاب مميز جداً و اعتبره من الكتب الغنية بالكثير من المعلومات والتي يجب على جميع الأباء والامهات الاطلاع عليها , تقيمي للكتاب 5/5
November 16, 2025
Kopumā laba grāmata, kas apkopo, kā dažādas lietas mūsdienu dzīvē negatīvi ietekmē bērnu attīstību, un to, cik svarīgs ir kārtīgs miegs, kopīgs ģimenes laiks, veselīgs uzturs, rotaļas bez ekrāniem un vispārīgi atpūta no šīs pārāk stimulējošās pasaules, kas cilvēkam mēģina pārdot visu iespējamo jau no dzimšanas brīža.
Lai gan šīs idejas ir labi zināmas, šeit klāt nāk daži interesanti un mazāk zināmi fakti, kā arī dažādi padomi, kā uzlabot katru no šiem dzīves aspektiem, ja nu tomēr viss sagājis auzās.
Jāpiebilst, ka man tomēr brīžiem radās sajūta, ka autore pārāk krtizē cilvēkus, par kuriem neko nezina, kā arī vietām fakti likās nedaudz novecojuši.
7/10
Lai gan šīs idejas ir labi zināmas, šeit klāt nāk daži interesanti un mazāk zināmi fakti, kā arī dažādi padomi, kā uzlabot katru no šiem dzīves aspektiem, ja nu tomēr viss sagājis auzās.
Jāpiebilst, ka man tomēr brīžiem radās sajūta, ka autore pārāk krtizē cilvēkus, par kuriem neko nezina, kā arī vietām fakti likās nedaudz novecojuši.
7/10
March 4, 2013
It is a well written book - lots of data and facts, lots of personal opinions and what sounds like plain common sense, yet still not too judgemental. I think the book reiterated a lot of what i knew intutitively about the need to spend time with our children, to think creatively about how we spend time together, to monitor what they eat and how they spend their time etc. I think the dangers of television, internet on minds of children are very real. It is good to be reminded of these things because otherwise parents like me busy juggling jobs and households etc are in danger of letting some of these things slip to the back of the mind.
August 31, 2013
I had to read this as part of my pre-reading for my PGCE primary course and it gave me a lot of insight into how the world is effecting children. I did agree with a lot that she said and also took on board a lot of her suggestions for when I eventually have children.
February 1, 2014
The book that talks about in details various aspects of childhood. From various angles childhood is studied with various suggestions and readings. I strongly suggest to the educators, parents and those who are concerned with children.
July 26, 2016
I am a Graphic Design student currently doing a project on the loss of childhood in western society. This book was a great help and one that I have referenced a lot in my research. And one that I will look back on if I ever have children of my own.
May 15, 2007
Brilliant, straightforward analysis of what's gone wrong with our kids and what we can do about it. I saw her speak recently, and she's a great speaker.
September 22, 2023
3.5 stars. Informative. The most interesting part was the research cited for why parents should avoid screen time for toddlers and limit for children in general.
July 18, 2019
Disclaimer: I had to stop reading this at the end of the communications chapter.
"We didn't need parenting books in my day!!" - A old lady sat next to me on the bus proudly boasts to me.
In the split second in my mind that it takes me to decide on my response, it hits me about what is wrong with this book.
"Thats a shame had there been maybe the generations your generation raised wouldn't have been so dysfunctional" I retort.
The woman clearly unhappy with my answer tut's and walks away.
That story implies this is a good book, its not its a bad book.
Whilst I maybe reading into this the author seems to look back at some "Golden" age in where everything was perfect. Before TV's and gadgets, but in doing so the author fails to address the key problems of those generations and how to address them. For example the author highlights that "Communication with your child is key". But fails to address talk about feelings and emotions with your child (Unless the child is in mood), even fails to address tone!
Now whilst I understand the book is 16 years old, I'm shocked by how backwards thinking this book is. I honestly don't wish to waste any more time on this book, and the only thing I can think of to close out is: If this nonsense book sparked a national debate for anything other than "Should there be a limit on the nonsense we allow to be published?" Then the nation is beyond saving.
"We didn't need parenting books in my day!!" - A old lady sat next to me on the bus proudly boasts to me.
In the split second in my mind that it takes me to decide on my response, it hits me about what is wrong with this book.
"Thats a shame had there been maybe the generations your generation raised wouldn't have been so dysfunctional" I retort.
The woman clearly unhappy with my answer tut's and walks away.
That story implies this is a good book, its not its a bad book.
Whilst I maybe reading into this the author seems to look back at some "Golden" age in where everything was perfect. Before TV's and gadgets, but in doing so the author fails to address the key problems of those generations and how to address them. For example the author highlights that "Communication with your child is key". But fails to address talk about feelings and emotions with your child (Unless the child is in mood), even fails to address tone!
Now whilst I understand the book is 16 years old, I'm shocked by how backwards thinking this book is. I honestly don't wish to waste any more time on this book, and the only thing I can think of to close out is: If this nonsense book sparked a national debate for anything other than "Should there be a limit on the nonsense we allow to be published?" Then the nation is beyond saving.
January 4, 2020
İçerik ve yazarın konuyu ele alış şekli beklentilerimin çok uzağında kaldı. Sue Palmer'ın özellikle toplumdaki dezavantajlı gruplar için kullandığı dil son derece rahatsız edici ve toplumsal ayrımcılık yaptığını, bu gruplara karşı dışlayıcı bir tavır benimsediğini gözler önüne seriyor. Ayrıca "gezegenin tarihindeki en gelişmiş ve üstün medeniyet" (s. 346) olduğunu savunduğu Birleşik Krallık sevdası ve kibri uzman olarak söylediklerinin güvenilirliğini ciddi bir şekilde etkiliyor. Çeviriye ilişkin görüşüm de olumsuz olmakla birlikte eser boyunca yadırgatıcı ifadeler okuma deneyimini kesintiye uğrattı (bkz. Her bölümün sonunda yer alan "Mind the Gap" bölümünün "Boşluğa Dikkat" olarak karşılanması). Titiz çevirileriyle tanınan İletişim Yayınlarının bu eser özelinde yürütülen çeviri ve editöryal süreçle yan yana gelmesi açıkçası şaşırttı. Kısacası benim için bu eser "okumasaydım da olurdu" kategorisinde yerini alan bir kitap oldu.
November 26, 2015
Interesting read and very detail. While I do agree and the writer revalidates some of my opinions on this subject, there are still some areas I may question further. Overall a good read.
October 4, 2021
Loads of epiphanies - so many ideas. A book to take round as a little reminder.
July 20, 2022
I think the key concepts of detoxifying childhood are accurate, however the overall style of writing and general criticism of parents feels quite classist and out of touch!
May 10, 2022
Sue Palmer’dan anlıyoruz ki “gezegen tarihinin en gelişmiş ülkesi(!)” olsanız bile çocuklarınız anne babalarına küfür edebiliyormuş ve bu utanılacak bir şeymiş… neyse ki durumun vehametinin farkında! Kitap boyunca kullanılan “dünyanın en gelişmiş dört ülkesinde bile” ifadeleri içimi baydı. Değindiği konular tüm dünyanın sorunları olmasına rağmen kutsal(!) İngiltere ve diğer üç büyüklerin gelişmişlikten anladığının ekonomik güçten ibaret olduğunu görüyoruz. Umarım ülkelerin kendileri de bu durumu fark ederler. Dünyayı sömürüp paralarını değerli kılarken çocukları nasıl gözardı ettiklerini Sue Palmer çok güzel anlatmış. İnsan ilişkileri, aile içi ilişkiler yerlerde sürünürken hala dilinden düşürmediği “gezegen tarihinin en gelişmiş ülkesi” ibaresine sadece güldüm. Sue abla çık şu İngiliz partizanlığından, çıkar at gözlüklerini ve dünyaya bütün olarak bak. Küresel köy deyip duruyor lakin o köy sadece İngiltere, Amerika, Japonya ve Almanya’dan ibaretmiş gibi bir tavır takınması fazla kibirli geldi. Sue ablanın tüm bu ırkçı kibrini bir kenara bırakmayı başarınca TÜM DÜNYADA insanoğlunun geleceğini tehdit eden bir insani felaketle karşı karşıya olduğumuzu özellikle ebeveynler ve eğitimciler olarak daha iyi anlıyoruz. Özgürlük diye satılan şeylerin insanı yalnızlaştırdığı ve birbirine neredeyse düşman olarak bakan 9 milyar insanın yaşadığı dünyanın gittikçe daha tehlikeli bir yer haline geldiğini düşünüyorum. Farkındalığı yüksek bireyler yetiştirmek isteyen her ebeveyn ve eğitimci bu kitabı okumalı. Dediğim gibi ırkçı ve kibirli ifadeleri göz ardı ettiğinizde gerçekten farkındalığı artıran bir kitap. 2 yıldız bile verilirdi bu ırkçılığı yüzünden lakin durumun tüm dünyada büyük bir kriz haline geldiğini düşündüğüm için 4 yıldız verip gündemde tutmak istiyorum. İngiliz mingiliz ama doğru şeyler söylemiş. Bir de dünyanın bu dört ülkeden ibaret olmadığını anlasa kendi farkındalığı için daha iyi olurmuş.
December 24, 2022
This book apparently sparked an international debate. Which sadly, I wasn’t a part of. Why? Because I hadn’t yet conceived a child and arguably, I was one of the toxic children that was being developed in the first phase of integration into technology. I would love to laugh about it, but it’s a fact.
I liked this book. That is the truth, however I would demand it requires a rewrite, a less biased point of view and the narrator did research this book to exemplary affect, however its bias swings heavily in favour of education defence, for which I who may be perceived to be bias because of my allegiance to the technological age would be a poor writer to adapt this book because again, I would agree that the parenting of children should fall to the parent, but when the educative system plucks our babes in arms from the ripe age of two in the UK. There must be an agreement that the education system hold a huge responsibility as guardians of our offspring, too.
Personally, I believe the book is geared toward the childhood of the under 10s. It does suggest we have to be aware of what technology is doing to our young precious minds, with all the targeting, algorithm and advertising that no man is absolutely in control of, because the computer programme decides, there is no parent hidden in the internet parental controlling what our children see, it is up to the parents and the guardians to place those boundaries upon the child.
I would recommend you read this book as there is always something to learn from the words of others. Thought provoking research. I have learned so much. Thanks to Orion Books for publishing it. It is still very prevalent as a topic 16 years on.
I liked this book. That is the truth, however I would demand it requires a rewrite, a less biased point of view and the narrator did research this book to exemplary affect, however its bias swings heavily in favour of education defence, for which I who may be perceived to be bias because of my allegiance to the technological age would be a poor writer to adapt this book because again, I would agree that the parenting of children should fall to the parent, but when the educative system plucks our babes in arms from the ripe age of two in the UK. There must be an agreement that the education system hold a huge responsibility as guardians of our offspring, too.
Personally, I believe the book is geared toward the childhood of the under 10s. It does suggest we have to be aware of what technology is doing to our young precious minds, with all the targeting, algorithm and advertising that no man is absolutely in control of, because the computer programme decides, there is no parent hidden in the internet parental controlling what our children see, it is up to the parents and the guardians to place those boundaries upon the child.
I would recommend you read this book as there is always something to learn from the words of others. Thought provoking research. I have learned so much. Thanks to Orion Books for publishing it. It is still very prevalent as a topic 16 years on.
August 19, 2023
Slightly out of date, however this fact highlights the author's arguments about the difficulty of adapting as a parent in a fast-changing world. I appreciated the discussions on limiting technology and prioritizing family time, which I think have become even more important since this book's publication date. The author does acknowledge that parents can only do so much in the face of government, economic and employment policies that are unfriendly to family life. She ultimately empowers parents with tips on how to advocate for themselves and their families in the face of policies that ignore the importance of child-rearing and family time.
April 11, 2025
"Even the best parents can only do so much when government, work, and economic systems aren’t built to support family life."
It talks about how screens, junk food, no outdoor play, and fast-paced life messes with childhood, plus the idea that we need family-focused economies instead of economy-focused families.
But we all know that already, right? It felt super general. A lot of it was common sense and not as well-researched as I hoped, especially after the last book I read😅. I didn’t even feel like using my highlighter, which says a lot! As someone studying early childhood, I didn’t find anything that useful.
It talks about how screens, junk food, no outdoor play, and fast-paced life messes with childhood, plus the idea that we need family-focused economies instead of economy-focused families.
But we all know that already, right? It felt super general. A lot of it was common sense and not as well-researched as I hoped, especially after the last book I read😅. I didn’t even feel like using my highlighter, which says a lot! As someone studying early childhood, I didn’t find anything that useful.
December 14, 2019
Though lots of the ideas in this book felt quite obvious to me, it was really interesting and eye-opening, particularly to consider the phenomenon from a parent’s view rather than a teacher’s. i would be interested in reading an updated version of the book as I feel a lot of the issues raised have only deteriorated in recent years as society has continued to splinter. It’s quite depressing as it’s such a wide reaching problem that I don’t know whether we’re too far gone to tackle...
July 1, 2020
An honest, sometimes uncomfortable to read book which outlines how the next generations are being influenced by the ever changing world.
The insights are interesting and the opportunity to work with advances in technology, rather than letting it rule, is there for those who want to nurture the children and give them the best possible chance to succeed and be happy.
Recommended and of great benefit to anyone studying Health & Social Care.
The insights are interesting and the opportunity to work with advances in technology, rather than letting it rule, is there for those who want to nurture the children and give them the best possible chance to succeed and be happy.
Recommended and of great benefit to anyone studying Health & Social Care.
March 17, 2018
A very well written book full of valuable points, guidelines and perspectives. There are many poisonous elements in modern society that are disabling our children, mentally, physically, spirituality and morally. This book gives us much food for thought and highlights the challenges faced by both the parent and child.
May 9, 2020
'It is the best of times; it is the worst of times. We live in a world of comfort, convenience and promise, a wonderful world for grown-up human beings to work and relax. But it's not the best of all possible worlds for children. Deep in our hearts we all know it, but we're frightened to admit it: the world we've created is damaging our children's brains.'
June 5, 2017
I absolutely loved this book. I wish more people would read it. While I already try and do many of the things in this book, it gave me more ideas but also connected everything really well together. Really well written and very thought-provoking.
December 2, 2018
The writer made her points clear. Sleep, food, games and communication. It could be smaller. I think she tries to judge objectively. I also think that this book should be read by every parent and teacher. Ιt should be a "university'' book.
February 9, 2021
Çocukluğa dair okuduğum ilk kitaptı o zamanlar çok etkilenmiştim. Şu an düşündüğümde değindiği pek çok şeyin ileri okumalar yapmak için birer başlık olduğunu görüyorum. Açıklanması tartışılması gereken çok başlığı var. Yine de beni sorgulamaya okumaya iten ilk kitap olması hasebiyle yeri ayrıdır :)
May 9, 2023
At this point the book is pretty outdated, especially in regard to technology, but it had great information when it came out. I would recommend a newer book on the same subject but I appreciated this book.
August 22, 2024
Interesting arguments, through phraseology was inflammatory at times. Plenty of research to back up what was always assumed to be “common sense”. The little subheadings in the chapters made it really easy to pick up and put down.
February 21, 2023
I found it a really interesting look into how childhood is today, as well as helpful advice for parents on how to avoid the pitfalls and other issues.
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