Comment

An introductory book on parenting. Born as a male, I wasn’t forced to think about this the same way that my female counterparts usually do. This is my attempt to do the research before deciding more clearly whether, when, and why I want to have a kid (or not). This book helped somewhat by shining lights onto the practical aspects of parenting – what people may feel through the 18 years that they are responsible for their kids. I’m glad that I read this book and now my judgements are no longer based solely on assumptions and emotions from my own childhood.

Summary:

Children have transitioned from an economic investment to a life-purpose fulfilling mechanism. The modern child rearing practices start from WW2 – before which children used to work to pay for themselves.

Some practical points that people with kids will instantly realize:

• You inevitably need to frustrate your kid at some point.
• Mistaken belief that children will be persuaded by reason.
• Arguing over giving and receiving gratitude.
• Life long commitment and a completely different life before and after having a kid.
• The strangeness of letting the kids go eventually because early on they depend so much on the parents.
• All kids will be unhappy at some point. 
• Kids are not in the control of their parents, despite their wishes.

Some joys:

• They remind us about how we once had to learn our implicit knowledge and how vast that is.
• Being a parent becomes an identity.

Some questions to think about:

• For whose sake do you raise a child?

5/5