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Michaeleen Doucleff: Hunt, Gather, Parent (2021, Simon & Schuster) 4 stars

parenting guide in form, but also more

4 stars

An American mom who comes to realize our approach to parenting - from industrialized roots and consumerist separation of kid/parent worlds and work/play activities, to its narrow forms of control and praise and anger, to nuclear family isolation and overwhelming expectations - is just weird and counterproductive. She frames this in time spent with her toddler while reporting on contemporary indigenous families approaches, and in seeing practices embodied in community her answers in translation are applicable to adult relationships as well as the task of raising future adults with well-developed senses of belonging and capacity and confidence. Pay attention to the behaviors you model and encourage, and create autonomy not independence nor control.