A Good Childhood

by Richard Layard, Judy Dunn

Every day the newspapers lament the problems facing our children - broken homes, pressures to eat and drink, the stress of exams. The same issues are discussed in every pub and at every dinner party. But is life really more difficult for children than it was, and if so why? And how can we make it better?

This book, which is a result of a two year investigation by the Children's Society and draws upon the work of the UK's leading experts in many fields, explores the main stresses and influences to which every child is exposed - family, friends, youth culture, values, and schooling, and will make recommendations as to how we can improve the upbringing of our children. It tackles issues which affect every child, whatever their background, and questions and provides solutions to the belief that life has become so extraordinarily difficult for children in general.

The experts make 30 specific recommendations, written not from the point of view of academics, but for the general reader - above all for parents and teachers. We expect publication to be a major event and the centre of widespread media attention.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Psychology, Society, Childrens

189 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2009

About the author

Peter Richard Grenville Layard, Baron Layard FBA, is a British labour economist, currently working as programme director of the Centre for Economic Performance at the London School of Economics.

His early career focused on how to reduce unemployment and inequality. He was Senior Research Officer for the famous Robbins Committee on Higher Education. This committee's report led to the massive expansion of UK university education in the 1960s and 1970s.

Following research on happiness begun in the 1970s by economists such as Richard Easterlin at the University of Southern California, he has written about the economics of happiness, with one theme being the importance of non-income variables on aggregate happiness, including mental health.

His main current interest is how better mental health could improve our social and economic life. His work on mental health, including publishing The Depression Report in 2006, led to the establishment of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme in England. He is co-editor of the World Happiness Report, with John F. Helliwell and Jeffrey Sachs.

Reviews

[Marysya Rudska · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A good Childhood" is a profound and insightful exploration of raising children in today’s modern society. The book presents several crucial ideas that resonate deeply with parents and caregivers.

One of the central themes emphasises the importance of nurturing the emotional and mental well-being of children. It stresses that as a society, we need to foster a more welcoming and supportive attitude towards children and their parents. The author highlights the significance of friendship in a child’s development, advocating for the need to provide safe spaces where children can play and interact with their peers without constant supervision.

This book offers valuable perspectives and practical advice, making it an essential read for anyone involved in raising or caring for children. It has certainly provided me with important insights to apply in my own life.

My favourite quote:

We want our children to discover that caring for others and contributing to a common good is ultimately more satisfying than either wealth, beauty or personal success.

[Izabela Placzek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lmao

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this book two stars because I thought it was going to be a parenting book on "searching for values in a competitive age" but it turned out to be the report of The Good Childhood Inquiry, which studied what shapes childhood and child outcomes, and recommendations based on the findings. Don't get me wrong, it was a succinct read and a fairly interesting report. But most of the recommendations were in the realm of policy and not so much on parenting considerations. So it really was a case of mismatched expectations. Also, where there were takeaways on the parenting front, these would be fairly familiar if you read Magda Gerber, Janet Lansbury and the like.

Key takeaways on parenting:
- Children need loving families - families where both parents are involved and who practice authoritative parenting (vs disciplined, neglectful or permissive parenting)
- Children need friends and some physical freedom to range and explore. Parents should therefore encourage children to make friends, play and study with friends and invite them home.
- Children need a positive lifestyle, in which they develop interests which satisfy them and avoid the enticements of excessive commercialism and unhealthy living. Parents should encourage exercise and outdoor activities and ensure that our kids enjoy their lives (they don't necessarily have to enjoy the same things their parents do). On the media, we need to educate kids to adopt a critical attitude to what they see, hear and read.
- This positive lifestyle must be built on solid values, which children acquire not only from parents and their schools, but also the medial, political and faith organisations. The report notes that "values of generosity and fairness are much more difficult to inculcate when all parents, religious and non-religious, and their children are repeatedly told they need to possess more material goods for themselves and to compete successfully against others". Help children develop a sense of empathy and morality from an early age, starting with books where you can ask the ids what the characters are feeling and why. Help children understand their emotions and manage them, to understand other people and "avoid attributing malign intent where none is present, how to respond constructively when it is". Provide your kids with a "moral vocabulary" - concepts like respect, honesty, kindness, for instance. Help children develop "the spiritual qualities of wonder and inner peace….[whether through] religious practice, music, dancing, drama, art, literature, science [or] the love of nature".
- Cultivate a love of learning that lasts throughout life and an ability to learn. "It matters greatly what children learn, but it matters even more that they get the habit and skill of learning". In addition, train "the habits of the heart"

[Chris Malone · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an interesting historical record of the outcome of The Good Childhood Inquiry (The Children's Society 2008).

Although it was an enjoyable read, I was disappointed in the lack of realisation of the promise of the title, 'Searching for Values in a Competitive Age.' I was hoping for insight into values in early education in the early 2000s, but did not really find this in the book.

[Jeni · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slamming of the 'me' generation. The modern quest for personal happiness at the expense of family and society is held directly responsible for much of the unhappiness of todays children. Worrying reading for single parents in places but generally worth a look as its quite an indepth look at kids today and whats important.

[Emilie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A compelling argument for the "law of love", and human responsibility towards others, in the context of improving the experiences of all children.