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There is a feeling of helplessness in the hearts of many parents. The social problems that they used to only read about in newspapers are becoming manifest in their children's school, in their neighborhoods, and in their own homes. This is the most appropriate time for a book that affirms the importance of good parenting in promoting happiness, self-esteem, and a desire for achievement.
Why Parents Matter challenges parents and parental figures to take responsibility for their children.
Barber argues that parental investment is an essential ingredient for a child's successful upbringing. Parents must see that the paramount role they play can improve their children's lives and, by extension, create a better community and society. Genetic and societal causes of delinquency are excuses used merely to avoid blame, according to Barber, who supports this argument with clearly explained evidence. In today's world, teen pregnancy, divorce, and crime are undeniable and common realities, but it is time to change these realities. This change can begin with effective parenting.
Our world will improve as we more actively parent our children to become responsible, well-adjusted adults. This book offers guidance to parents and parental figures who wish to explore why it is that our youth are in danger and how we can help to inspire them to learn the elements necessary to lead healthy, creative, and balanced lives.
List of contents
Preface
The Big Picture: Societal Differences in Parenting
Higher Investment and Its Outcomes
Lower Parental Investment and Social Problems
Divorce and Parental Investment
Sibling Competition as a Tragedy of the Commons
Money and Parental Investment
Nine to Five: The Influence of Occupational Trends on Parental Investment
Teen Mothers and Reduced Parental Investment
Group Differences in Child Socialization
Can You Increase Parental Investment?
Can High Parental Investment Produce a Civil, and Enlightened, Society?
Appendix
Bibliography
Index
About the author
NIGEL BARBER is a psychologist and the author of several accessible books on parenting, including Parenting: Roles, Styles, and Outcomes (1998).
