TRUST: We are in a crisis of trust the world over. Parents are afraid, and that makes our children afraid — to be who they are, to take risks, to stand up against injustice. Trust has to start with us. When we’re confident in the choices we make as parents, we can then trust our children to take important and necessary steps toward empowerment and

... See more

Instead of focusing on rules, Taking Children Seriously focuses on fostering understanding. Parenting is the process of supporting a child until they understand the world well enough that they can support themselves. What is the best way to foster understanding? To provide freedom and security for a person’s creativity to discover how the world

... See more

Controlling parenting isn't good for kids. It puts their well-being at risk. 238 studies, 38 countries, 126k ppl: Kids with controlling parents have higher rates of depression and anxiety. Kids with autonomy-supportive parents are happier. Freedom is a foundation of well-being.... See more

Parents have long been sold a model of childrearing that simply doesn’t work. From reward charts to time outs, many popular parenting approaches are based on shaping behavior, not raising humans. These techniques don’t build the skills kids need for life, or account for their complex emotional needs. Add to that parents’ complicated relationships... See more

Among other things, helicopter parenting and snowplow parenting are associated with less self-regulation, self-control, and persistence in kids and with higher rates of depression in young adults. On the flip side, autonomy-supportive parenting — an approach in which parents are more hands off — has been tied to better kids’ social adjustment,... See more