How to Raise an Adult
by Julie Lythcott-Haims
A former Stanford dean on what overparenting does: students who cannot cope, choose or fail. She covers the checklisted childhood, the college arms race and alternatives, with practical steps for teaching life skills and letting go by age. Persuasive and specific.
Read it if…
you suspect you are doing too much for your child and want to stop well.
Skip it if…
your children are very young; it is mostly school-age and teen.
Three things you will actually use
- Teach skills by age; then step back.
- Let them struggle and fail safely.
- Your child's path is theirs.
Do this first
Pick one task you do for your child that they can do, and hand it over this week.
Our verdict
Clear and important; a case for letting go.
Compare with other Parenting books
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Warm and realistic; a parent's regulation first.
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The Explosive Child
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Transformative for the families who need it.
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