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coleycole's review against another edition
3.0
I like the idea that lazy people raise self-sufficient children...
bookshelfd's review against another edition
2.0
In this first chapter, I'm approaching it skeptically. I'm all for the idea that kids need time to play independently and creatively, but he also poo-poos the ideas of leaving the house on the weekend for family adventures (?!) and working parents. Such a narrow view of family life - and such a focus on staying on the couch or in bed until noon - seems sad. There's more to life, and there are so many ways that family life works for families of all stripes. I hope he doesn't stay so narrow throughout the entire book.
idgetfay's review against another edition
2.0
This was… painful. Eventually I just started skimming, until I was skimming so fast I basically DNFed the awful thing. The obnoxious thing about this book is there is a fair amount of decent advice in it (leave kids to their own devices, spend time in nature, unplug the TV and computer, etc)… but it’s all muddled together with bad advice, contradictions, encouragement to drink copious amounts of alcohol, and anecdotes that seem to illustrate that the author dislikes his kids immensely. There’s no science here at all. None whatsoever. Just philosophy and personal experience. I finally realized that I don’t like the author and I don’t want my life to look anything like his. If I don’t want his life, why take his advice? Especially when he seems to hate his children and doesn’t seem to think he needs to control his temper.
For a similar philosophy without all the ranting and attempts at humor try ‘Hunt, Gather, Parent’ and ‘Simplicity Parenting.’ They’re much more organized and scientific and together they more or less cover all the good advice this book has to offer.
For a similar philosophy without all the ranting and attempts at humor try ‘Hunt, Gather, Parent’ and ‘Simplicity Parenting.’ They’re much more organized and scientific and together they more or less cover all the good advice this book has to offer.
debi_g's review against another edition
3.0
Though each chapter has a different topic, it all boils down to one main idea: give kids breathing room and you'll be a happier parent.
Free Range Kids is still my top parenting book choice and Alfie Kohn's books are good too, but this book presents a strong case for parents to be more hands-off so that kids naturally become self-reliant.
Free Range Kids is still my top parenting book choice and Alfie Kohn's books are good too, but this book presents a strong case for parents to be more hands-off so that kids naturally become self-reliant.
jlange64's review against another edition
3.0
I am a very Type-A person, so the idea of being an "Idle Parent" is basically my polar opposite. I only read the book for a book club discussion. After about 50 pages I nearly gave up; I just couldn't take it. But I stuck with it and it ended up being ok. I did actually agree with the author on several points, I just didn't see why it was necessary to try to get parenting wisdom from 1800s authors that he continually referenced. PLus, he had no studies or statistics to back up his ideas that being an idle parent makes your kids turn out any better (again, my type-A personality wants those stats). Having said that, I can probably take a few pointers from him.
secstraus's review against another edition
4.0
I like the message to run your own race and make your own fun. Tom Hodgkinson invites the reader to follow or ignore his recommendations as desired. I’m going to ignore the bits quoted from men who abandoned or mistreated their wives and children and yet presumptuously gave advice on family life, like Rousseau and Charles Dickens. I agree with the idle parent mindset as long as it doesn’t involve totally shafting your partner. It doesn’t sound like this is advocated or practiced by the author, but it’s probably an on-going conversation about proper distribution and maximization of idleness.
ancequay's review against another edition
3.0
The tone of this book seemed to swing between flip (a good parent lies in the hammock and trains their children to bring them beer and cigarettes) to somewhat extremist (women are doing themselves a disservice by working after having kids). I appreciated a lot of the principals expressed, that children don't need to be entertained all the time and that "neglecting" them a bit can foster creativity and independence. I didn't appreciate the assertions that good parents shouldn't work more than a few hours a day and that working from home (preferably when home is a farm with lots of animals???) is best. The book didn't live up to my expectations, but I did thoroughly enjoy parts of it.
booksnwhiskey's review against another edition
4.0
There are many things that I agree with but as always with one's opinion there are things that Hodgkinson says that I do disagree with. I try to take the same approach when raising my own daughter. I am against the "helicopter" parent. We all have friends and family who want to tell you that you should be doing things differently and you are going to regret your decisions. This book gave me some feeling that there is someone who thinks at least some way along the same lines as I do. There is no guarantee that our best intentions are ever going to make kids be happier or healthier. Even after you read this book.
thehlb's review against another edition
2.0
I feel bad giving this only 2 stars, but "it was okay" seems an apt summation.
I agree wholeheartedly with the overall premise of the book, which is that overparenting and helicoptering only makes kids less happy in the end.
The author's methods and some of his reasoning I do not agree with.
He seems to contradict himself on occasion when it seems convenient. He also implies that public education leads to an idea that we all must work like slaves for an evil wage and be happy about it and this is a bad thing. (Sorry fella, but not all of us can be writers and live on a farm.)
He also seems really, really into drinking, and nearly suggests that parents should spend their post bedtime hours drunk.
He is not just spouting forth his own opinion, he does borrow heavily from Locke and Rousseau, only less well written.
STILL, it was an interesting read, and I'd love if my friends read it if only to discuss.
I agree wholeheartedly with the overall premise of the book, which is that overparenting and helicoptering only makes kids less happy in the end.
The author's methods and some of his reasoning I do not agree with.
He seems to contradict himself on occasion when it seems convenient. He also implies that public education leads to an idea that we all must work like slaves for an evil wage and be happy about it and this is a bad thing. (Sorry fella, but not all of us can be writers and live on a farm.)
He also seems really, really into drinking, and nearly suggests that parents should spend their post bedtime hours drunk.
He is not just spouting forth his own opinion, he does borrow heavily from Locke and Rousseau, only less well written.
STILL, it was an interesting read, and I'd love if my friends read it if only to discuss.
yggdrasil_81's review against another edition
The author keep citing JJ Rousseau as a perfect exemple. Since Rousseau has abandoned his five children, I can't really take him as an model, so the book isn't convincing.