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A review by jennyp0208
The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud, Ned Johnson
4.0
Who's in control here? This book is a plea to let your kids be in control of their own lives, as much as realistic (with plenty of guidance for ages, stages, and kids who just make crazy choices). Finishing homework? Help, but it's their responsibility. Going to college? Consult, but it's their choice. The big idea is that a sense of control helps children flourish and be less stressed and therefore more successful overall.
I came away with many good ideas and challenges to implement in our own home.
Two things bothered me though - there is a large push to teach meditation to kids, especially Transcendental Meditation. The second was that nearly every anecdote, every stressor they discussed resolving, had to do with conventional schooling and standardized test taking. While I grasp that these are the biggest stressors for kids today, they are far from the only. As homeschoolers, I look forward to pursuing the "parent as consultant" mindset in our education, but it would have been nice to see some educational diversity reflected in the book. Especially as homeschool done well is a great place to allow kids increasing levels of control over their education and freedom to pursue their passions.
I came away with many good ideas and challenges to implement in our own home.
Two things bothered me though - there is a large push to teach meditation to kids, especially Transcendental Meditation. The second was that nearly every anecdote, every stressor they discussed resolving, had to do with conventional schooling and standardized test taking. While I grasp that these are the biggest stressors for kids today, they are far from the only. As homeschoolers, I look forward to pursuing the "parent as consultant" mindset in our education, but it would have been nice to see some educational diversity reflected in the book. Especially as homeschool done well is a great place to allow kids increasing levels of control over their education and freedom to pursue their passions.