Reclaiming Childhood

by Helene Guldberg

Children are cooped up, passive, apathetic and corrupted by commerce… or so we are told. Reclaiming Childhood confronts the dangerous myths spun about modern childhood. Yes, children today are losing out on many experiences past generations took for granted, but their lives have improved in so many other ways. This book exposes the stark consequences on child development of both our low expectations of fellow human beings and our safety-obsessed culture. Rather than pointing the finger at soft ‘junk’ targets and labelling children as fragile and easily damaged, Helene Guldberg argues that we need to identify what the real problems are – and how much they matter. We need to allow children to grow and flourish, to balance sensible guidance with youthful independence. That means letting children play, experiment and mess around without adults hovering over them. It means giving children the opportunity to develop the resilience that characterises a sane and successful adulthood. Guldberg suggests ways we can work to improve children’s experiences, as well as those of parents, teachers and ‘strangers’ simply by taking a step back from panic and doom-mongering.

Genres: Education, Psychology, Parenting, Nonfiction

216 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2009

Reviews

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for my Child Development in the UK Context class, the professor of which was the author of this book. It is an interesting look on our current obsession with trying to bubble wrap and over structure children in today's culture. Guldburg pulls many examples for news, reports, and legislation passed in both the U.S. and the U.K. about this growing epidemic and the amount the government is trying to dictate childhood is rather alarming.

Now, like any book, it is trying to get you to agree with it's point of view on the topic. While all the points were valid, there was little acknowledgement that though the measures of policy makers is getting out of hand, they started from a good place and maybe they need to be scaled back instead of done away with altogether. It is a fine balance that we obviously haven't mastered yet, but to say that the government needs to completely step away from children's welfare when they are usually blamed when something major happens with children is nearly impossible.

It is an interesting and easy read and anyway interested in childhood psychology or education would find it an engaging read.

[Katharina Joos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a great analysis of current trends in how parents and carers of children are being treated by the authorities. Very accessible.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas, bit academic but interesting. Personal peeve is use of a qualifier with "unique" but I recognize that's pedantic!

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tiny bit of more research and it would have been 5*

This was nearly the perfect book I was looking for. This is going to be so great for my debate - omg.