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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This was a great read (listen). As We teeter on taking this plunge, all the fears and reservations rear their ugly ass heads. I really appreciate the honesty on all ends and feel like there was a lot of fascinating perspectives and I appreciated that it wasn’t preachy just informative.
did not disappoint. I admire Senior for her commitment to an objective portrayal of parenthood in all its messy, awkward glory.
four months doing this parenthood thing and, yes, relatable.
Yes. And more yes. Somewhat stressful and depressing but so many truths.
funny
informative
medium-paced
Well written synthesis of research on happiness, flow, and stress experienced by parents (both at the individual and couple-level) of children at various ages, interwoven with observations of middle-class families in Minnesota and Texas. On balance the book emphasizes the "no fun" daily inundation of tedium and stress and gives a barely convincing blurb at the end about the "joy" aspect (drawing on the meaning and satisfaction parents feel in retrospect--many years later--from raising their kids). I would have appreciated more research on the impact that part-time childcare has. On the whole this book was surprisingly strong for its category; a lot of books about lifestyle choices that draw from social science research overgeneralize and simplify; having read some of the research she draws from (and knowing some of the researchers), I found her coverage reasonable.
Outside of the uplifting last chapter, this book was really difficult to get through. I felt like I needed to take a break every half chapter just to catch a breath because of how grim the parenthood outlook seemed to be. At the end of every chapter, I asked myself why I’m signing up for parenthood again?? It was very sobering and set expectations for the inevitability of marriage destruction (okay that’s an exaggeration, but a decline in marital bliss is guaranteed!), stress and disappointment and all sorts of horrible challenges ahead.
I am glad that I’m mentally prepared. But it was a difficult read. I cannot say I enjoyed this reading journey. It caused many existential crises.
The last chapter was nice.
I am glad that I’m mentally prepared. But it was a difficult read. I cannot say I enjoyed this reading journey. It caused many existential crises.
The last chapter was nice.
informative
medium-paced
A good look at the challenges of parenting and the effect parenting has on parents. Also a good look at the changing nature of childhood. Some very good points to consider regarding the challenges of parental relationship and family dynamics. It is a challenge to balance it all and keep up with the changing environment we are trying to raise kids in!
Interesting read. Not sure what I really got out of it in the way of concrete information to act on, but it was entertaining to read about people going through similar parenting and life issues.