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SAVING CHILDHOOD

Name: SAVING CHILDHOOD
Author: Michael Medved
ISBN: 0-06-017372-6

PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN FROM THE NATIONAL ASSAULT ON INNOCENCE

by Michael Medved & Diane Medved ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 1998

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While avoiding the phrase “family values,” this book sets out to demonstrate—not unsuccessfully—that children confront sex, violence, fear, and consumerism far sooner than they should, and in unexpected places. Children deserve to enjoy a time of innocence, but assaults by the media, the schools, their peers, and their parents have reduced that period to a brief few years, say the authors. The Medveds are parents of three; Michael (Hollywood vs. America, 1992, etc.) is a movie critic for the New York Post and a talk-radio host; Diane (The American Family, with Dan Quayle) is a practicing psychologist. They are also observant Jews. And, at least according to this book, they have indeed created a cocoon for their children by enrolling them in religious schools, by closely monitoring their friendships, and by carefully regulating other outside influences. There is no television in the Medved home. Reading is encouraged, but supervised—Judy Blume is considered iffy because she discusses menstruation and sexuality too soon. TV’s the major villain, guilty of venalities ranging from the medium’s general, overarching superficiality to an interpretation of the world as unduly ugly, scary, and deceitful. In the villainy category, schools come next, charged with inciting inappropriate anxiety when instructing students about such issues as “improper touching” and environmental desolation (and criticized for emphasizing “interpersonal skills” more than arithmetic). Peers take a hit, too, when they indulge in drugs, violence, body piercing, or rudeness. Parents are criticized because they no longer instill a homegrown ethical sense. What children need, announce the Medveds, is “security, a sense of wonder, and optimism” about life. Concluding chapters advise parents on how to achieve goals like these. The authors make some points. Unfortunately, they also belabor them. And, alas, their heaven seems to be the air-brushed life of the Eisenhower era. (Author tour)

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 1998

ISBN: 0-06-017372-6

Page Count: 336

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1998

Categories:

FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS

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PERMISSION TO FEEL

UNLOCKING THE POWER OF EMOTIONS TO HELP OUR KIDS, OURSELVES, AND OUR SOCIETY THRIVE

by Marc Brackett ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 3, 2019

An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.

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An analysis of our emotions and the skills required to understand them.

We all have emotions, but how many of us have the vocabulary to accurately describe our experiences or to understand how our emotions affect the way we act? In this guide to help readers with their emotions, Brackett, the founding director of Yale University’s Center for Emotional Intelligence, presents a five-step method he calls R.U.L.E.R.: We need to recognize our emotions, understand what has caused them, be able to label them with precise terms and descriptions, know how to safely and effectively express them, and be able to regulate them in productive ways. The author walks readers through each step and provides an intriguing tool to use to help identify a specific emotion. Brackett introduces a four-square grid called a Mood Meter, which allows one to define where an emotion falls based on pleasantness and energy. He also uses four colors for each quadrant: yellow for high pleasantness and high energy, red for low pleasantness and high energy, green for high pleasantness and low energy, and blue for low pleasantness and low energy. The idea is to identify where an emotion lies in this grid in order to put the R.U.L.E.R. method to good use. The author’s research is wide-ranging, and his interweaving of his personal story with the data helps make the book less academic and more accessible to general readers. It’s particularly useful for parents and teachers who want to help children learn to handle difficult emotions so that they can thrive rather than be overwhelmed by them. The author’s system will also find use in the workplace. “Emotions are the most powerful force inside the workplace—as they are in every human endeavor,” writes Brackett. “They influence everything from leadership effectiveness to building and maintaining complex relationships, from innovation to customer relations.”

An intriguing approach to identifying and relating to one’s emotions.

Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-250-21284-9

Page Count: 320

Publisher: Celadon Books

Review Posted Online: June 22, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019

Categories:

GENERAL CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | CURRENT EVENTS & SOCIAL ISSUES | FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS | PSYCHOLOGY

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HOW NOT TO HATE YOUR HUSBAND AFTER KIDS

by Jancee Dunn ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2017

A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after...

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Self-help advice and personal reflections on avoiding spousal fights while raising children.

Before her daughter was born, bestselling author Dunn (Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?: And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask, 2009, etc.) enjoyed steady work and a happy marriage. However, once she became a mother, there never seemed to be enough time, sleep, and especially help from her husband. Little irritations became monumental obstacles between them, which led to major battles. Consequently, they turned to expensive couples' therapy to help them regain some peace in life. In a combination of memoir and advice that can be found in most couples' therapy self-help books, Dunn provides an inside look at her own vexing issues and the solutions she and her husband used to prevent them from appearing in divorce court. They struggled with age-old battles fought between men and women—e.g., frequency of sex, who does more housework, who should get up with the child in the middle of the night, why women need to have a clean house, why men need more alone time, and many more. What Dunn learned via therapy, talks with other parents, and research was that there is no perfect solution to the many dynamics that surface once couples become parents. But by using time-tested techniques, she and her husband learned to listen, show empathy, and adjust so that their former status as a happy couple could safely and peacefully morph into a happy family. Readers familiar with Dunn's honest and humorous writing will appreciate the behind-the-scenes look at her own semi-messy family life, and those who need guidance through the rough spots can glean advice while being entertained—all without spending lots of money on couples’ therapy.

A highly readable account of how solid research and personal testing of self-help techniques saved a couple's marriage after the birth of their child.