NurtureShock, written by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, is a book that appeals to parents, educators, and social scientists alike. What if the strategies we, as modern parents who feel we’re finally in touch with what positive parenting means, are actually backfiring? As a mom, I’m always reading about parenting tactics and strategies based on my child’s age. I dedicated hours to reading and learning about attachment parenting, interpreting my toddler’s babble and why she was having a temper tantrum, and then debating the most recent advice on how much, if any, tv is ok for my 5 year old. Like many moms, I adjusted my parenting techniques based on what I read was right. Nurture Shock, in a sense, blows the roof off the straw house I built and exposed me to some truths.
My copy of Nurture Shock is now full of tabbed pages and it’s impossible to give proper attention to all the studies and revelations in this book. I have to share a few pieces of information I learned that are now affecting how I parent.
1. Over-praising our children can actually do more harm than good. Children who are continually told how great they are can inherently feel they have done all there is whereas children who are told they need to improve, work harder, and do better have something to reach for. This makes sense on a very basic level. A child who is told, “You are so smart!” over and over may in turn fear trying something they are not actually good (smart) at for fear of failure and instead rely on what they know.
2. As parents we know how important sleep is but did you know that some researchers have concluded that some sleep disorders can impair a child’s I.Q. as much as lead exposure?
3. Obese children actually watch no more tv than slender children. This one is a whopper (excuse the pun) because for years we have been told how too much tv is a contributing factor to obesity. The real culprit? Lack of sleep.
4. Not talking to our children about race and racism (and taking the role of sitting back and waiting until our child notices the differences and brings them up to us) can do more harm than good. By not talking about it we are sending our children the message that it should not be discussed (makes sense doesn’t it?)
There is SO MUCH MORE that this book covers, enough to keep your mommy group or coffee playdates a buzz for hours. Testing children before Kindergarten to determine giftedness? Not very useful. When we think we’re hiding arguments from our children, we’re actually causing more harm than good. Oh mommies I could go on and on! If you’re reading this and raising your eyebrow, I don’t blame you. You SHOULD be critical of information that goes against what you thought you knew. In the same sense, you should investigate new thinking and determine if and how it can help in your own household. Check your local bookstore as this book is available September 3rd. You can also purchase it on sites like Amazon of course.
I have 5 copies of NurtureShock set aside for my readers! To enter to win this groundbreaking book, I thought I’d open it up for discussion. In your comment, tell me what you think about the discovery that over-praising our children can do more harm than good…does it make sense to you? This will be the first of many discussions with your friends after reading this book, I assure you!
For additional entries:
~ Become a Fan of Nurture Shock on Facebook
~ Follow me (join this site with Google Friend Connect)
~ Subscribe via email or Reader
~ Grab my button
~ Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link
~ Follow me on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway
~ Become a Fan of Feisty Frugal and Fabulous on Facebook
Please ensure your profile is public or leave me your email address in your comment. This giveaway will end on September11th at 9:00pm CT. I will use Random.org to choose the winners, email the winners, and post the win here. Giveaway is open to Canadian and US addresses.
Add Comment