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Hunt, Gather, Parent
Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans | Michaeleen Doucleff
6 posts | 10 read | 11 to read
The oldest cultures in the world have mastered the art of raising happy, well-adjusted children. What can we learn from them? When Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff becomes a mother, she examines the studies behind modern parenting guidance and finds the evidence frustratingly limited and the conclusions often ineffective. Curious to learn about more effective parenting approaches, she visits a Maya village in the Yucatn Peninsula. There she encounters moms and dads who parent in a totally different way than we doand raise extraordinarily kind, generous, and helpful children without yelling, nagging, or issuing timeouts. What else, Doucleff wonders, are Western parents missing out on? In Hunt, Gather, Parent, Doucleff sets out with her three-year-old daughter in tow to learn and practice parenting strategies from families in three of the worlds most venerable communities: Maya families in Mexico, Inuit families above the Arctic Circle, and Hadzabe families in Tanzania. She sees that these cultures dont have the same problems with children that Western parents do. Most strikingly, parents build a relationship with young children that is vastly different from the one many Western parents developits built on cooperation instead of control, trust instead of fear, and personalized needs instead of standardized development milestones. Maya parents are masters at raising cooperative children. Without resorting to bribes, threats, or chore charts, Maya parents rear loyal helpers by including kids in household tasks from the time they can walk. Inuit parents have developed a remarkably effective approach for teaching children emotional intelligence. When kids cry, hit, or act out, Inuit parents respond with a calm, gentle demeanor that teaches children how to settle themselves down and think before acting. Hadzabe parents are world experts on raising confident, self-driven kids with a simple tool that protects children from stress and anxiety, so common now among American kids. Not only does Doucleff live with families and observe their techniques firsthand, she also applies them with her own daughter, with striking results. She learns to discipline without yelling. She talks to psychologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists, and sociologists and explains how these strategies can impact childrens mental health and development. Filled with practical takeaways that parents can implement immediately, Hunt, Gather, Parent helps us rethink the ways we relate to our children, and reveals a universal parenting paradigm adapted for American families.
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review
AileenRR
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Mehso-so

Some good advice, but I didn‘t care for the writer‘s style/voice.

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youneverarrived
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Mehso-so

I wanted more about the ancient cultures and less on how she put that knowledge/her experiences in Mexico, Canada & Tanzania into practice with her own child (although I understand why she wrote it that way). Lots of tips on how to make parenting easier/more enjoyable - some I agree with & already do and some that didn‘t sit right with me. #nonfiction2023 (true colours)

(Naomi pretending to be on the phone using a spade 😆)

sarahbarnes Babies pretending to be on the phone is literally one of my favorite things. 1y
youneverarrived @sarahbarnes I love how they use anything 😂 1y
squirrelbrain Aw, cutie! 🥰 1y
See All 8 Comments
quietlycuriouskate My little one had that very same clam-shell over 20 years ago! 1y
dabbe Excellent imagination, Naomi! 🤩🤩🤩 1y
youneverarrived @squirrelbrain her personality is really coming through now ❤️ 1y
youneverarrived @quietlycuriouskate it must be becoming a childhood classic 😆 1y
youneverarrived @dabbe ❤️❤️ 1y
54 likes1 stack add8 comments
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SarahBookInterrupted
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Pickpick

I absolutely loved this book! I can‘t stop talking about it. I have 3 children and have already started using many of the techniques. We moved from Canada to Senegal so some of the cultural ways of raising children we already do. The Inuit section is already changing my life. Not getting angry at your children, remaining calm and stop talking so much. Wow! My house in 2 weeks is already more peaceful. Every parent needs to read this! 5 Stars

Kayla.Adriena I've heard of this one! Does it recommend getting rid of a lot of their toys and curious if you did so? 🤔 2y
Caroline2 Sounds great. Stacked! 😃 2y
SarahBookInterrupted Yes it does. We live somewhere now where toys aren‘t so important. Kids usually have half a dozen & rotate them often. I struggle when we come back to Canada or family visits. They give my kids so many toys. So, it‘s challenging. I just get rid of anything they don‘t play with every 4-6 months.She does say in the book, just reduce the toys to what your kids play with. But, the toy thing is a small part of the book. it‘s a must read! @Kayla.Adriena 2y
SarahBookInterrupted @Caroline2 you won‘t regret it! 2y
40 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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iread2much
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Pickpick

While I disagreed with the the authors description of Western parenting (she should used western middle class parenting IMO), I found this book to be really interesting. I agree that the way I see ppl raising kids is WEIRD and bad for the parents & the child, and that children need more autonomy & tasks, and less praise. Read this if you‘re interested in modern parenting & if you are want to know more about WEIRD culture. 3/5 stars

Crazeedi Sweet puppy!!🐶❤ 3y
iread2much @Crazeedi thank you! 3y
19 likes2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

Excellent parenting advice from an NPR journalist who traveled the world with her young daughter Rosie to spend time with various people from cultures which have a much different perspective on raising children than western society. I loved this take on raising kids to be helpful and self-reliant. I‘ve read several parenting books in the last 6 years and there are topics covered here as in others but it‘s always great to reinforce the ideas.

72 likes3 stack adds
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Floresj
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Pickpick

I‘m out of the target market for this as my children are 14 and 12, but it does give practical, calm, good advice. I thought this would be more about the cultures of the Mayan, Inuit, and Tanzanian but it really just skirts over them to prove the point that kids need to be included, respected and help contribute to families as early as possible. I just wanted more cultural anecdotes (and more inclusion of fathers and sons).

16 likes2 stack adds