At Family Resource Center, we regularly read and share books, especially those with helpful tips or ones that get us thinking or make us laugh.
Hello, Cruel World!: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times, by Melinda Wenner Moyer
We appreciate the authors recommendations are grounded in developmental psychology and contemporary research and include practical strategies that are useful with children 0-12 years (roughly). Moyer acknowledges one size does not fit all and encourages parents to adapt suggestions to fit cultural norms and family structures and to pick and choose what is most helpful. This book is well-written and organized into three basic concepts—Cope, Connect, and Cultivate.
Moyer points out in this age of intensive parenting, it’s important to consider the big picture and give ourselves as parents some grace. She talks about the pressures we place on our kids to excel and how this can rob kids of the opportunities they need to build social and problem-solving skills, or to work through challenges and discomfort. Skills take practice and naturally come with frustration and disappointment and build resilience. If our goal as parents is to help kids become independent well-adjusted adults, Moyer suggests there are better ways to guide them into their futures.
“Youth is a time of learning and preparing for adulthood, and that means helping young people identify and navigate risks, not avoid them.” —Melinda Wenner Moyer
The book thoughtfully covers the topics of self-compassion; resilience; preventing substance use and addiction; recognizing when to rest, relax, have fun, and quit; empathy and compassion; healthy friendships; curiosity and inclusion and preventing bias and polarization; financial literacy and inequality; media and information literacy; and managing tech and social media.
Although the concepts may not be new to some, they are straightforward and useful.
