Children First: What Society Must Do--and is Not Doing--for Children Today

by Penelope Leach

From the bestselling author of the classic Your Baby & Child comes "a book full of wisdom...written by one of the world's leading nurturers of parents (T. Berry Brazelton, M.D.). • "A call for a revolution." — The New York Times Magazine

The child psychologist whose book Your Baby & Child has provided indispensable advice to a new generation of parents now offers a groundbreaking book which suggests that even the best parenting may not be enough in a society that is hostile to children. Leach shows how our laws, employment polices, and culture end up depriving children of their parents. The child psychologist whose book Your Baby & Child has provided indispensable advice to a new generation of parents now offers a groundbreaking book which suggests that even the best parenting may not be enough in a society that is hostile to children. Leach shows how our laws, employment polices, and culture end up depriving children of their parents.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Dr. Penelope J. Leach (born Penelope Jane Balchin) is a British psychologist who writes extensively on parenting issues from a child development perspective.

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an informative read. I have recomended to to many.

[Jessica Echterling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Penelope Leach is an expert in one of my fields, child development, as well as one of my favorite authors in that field. Her style is a fine balance between warmth and authority. In this book she hits on some major points including how much a new baby really does impact an adult's life and how we should expect as much since children are people too.

Overall, this book was an eye-opening read through the lens of a parent and health professional. My husband also gleaned a lot through the lens of an employer just from my summaries and conversations.

After reading this book, it is much more noticeable to me how many things are biased against children and families. Now it's so annoying. Sometimes I just want to scream out loud, "Children are people! They have rights and feelings! Stop being so rude and discriminatory! Aaaargh!"

To address some reviewers who state the last part of the book seems too unrealistic for real life, I just like to ask if we (living in a first world country) can't decide our own goings on, who can?

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a dense book. To be honest, some parts felt like a slog. However, the last chapter was terrific; Leach envisions realistic changes to societal structure that would let parents spend more time parenting, give kids the support that they need, reduce the environmental impact of our commutes, and enliven suburbs to make them less boring and more person-centric.

Everyone should read the last chapter. Everyone should read the first two chapters (on gender roles and how society looks at families). You probably don't need the rest of the book unless you are a parent or an educator; read it if you want.

[ColleenaMareena · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The women's movement has dismantled many barriers that protected men's powerful public lives, but gender equality is still defined as sameness, and the model for it is still a male one." p 27

"Early-years education is distorted by preparation for school." p 28

"Newborn babies want nothing that they do not need and therefore do not know how to demand anything more than they need; what they ask for they DO need. Having their needs met, readily and kindly throughout the first days and weeks, teaches them that this new world and its caring adults are benevolent and can be trusted; that trust is the basis of confidence in other people and in self, from infancy to death." p55

[Melissa Dally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parenting; I iz doin it rite, mostly by instinct. I like what she has to say about the needs of children. I think she misses the mark a bit on some things, but she gets it. Also the main solution that is discussed right at the end of the book is way hippy dippy and while it sounds great on paper would SO not work in practice.

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Here's a book to make working women really feel like sh*t.

[Lindsay Evermore]

case/west haven