by Michael Medved, Diane Medved
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Product Description
Saving Childhood offers parents and grandparents practical strategies to cope with a society that seems perversely determined to frighten and corrupt its young. Cultural critic and popular radio host Michael Medved and his wife, psychologist Diane Medved, argue that in a mistaken effort to curb problems plaguing its youth, our culture has changed from protecting childhood as a precious time of growth to hammering even the smallest youngsters with a grim, harsh, and menacing view of the world. The Medveds systematically present unassailable scientific evidence, moving anecdotes, and personal experiences of raising their three young children to explain the attack from four primary directions--media, schools, peers, and even well-intentioned parents themselves. In a unique analysis the Medveds define innocence not as ignorance but as the result of three components--security, a sense of wonder and optimism. They empower parents and all who care about childhood with concrete, easily accomplished means to fend off the assault, as well as advice for handling hurdles such as the Internet, television, peer pressure, and the plague of pessimism. Saving Childhood enables us to restore and maintain for our children imagination, confidence, and hope for the future.
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Average Customer Review:
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
 Transformative & Eye-opening, 2008-06-03
One of the most impacting parts of this book for me is the main thesis.
page 16
QUOTE:
"...the three components of childhood innocence: security, a sense of wonder, and optimism.
At the moment, our society seems to be obsessed with the importance of "self-esteem," but we argue that as significant as it may be for children to believe that "I'm a great kid," it's even more crucial for them to believe that "It's a great world."
If feelings of gratitude and hope and appropriate awe at our astonishing universe aren't instilled in childhood, chances are they will be denied for a lifetime."
END QUOTE.
When did we as a society become so determined to "prepare" kids for the terrible world?? Children growing up in fear and pessimism will not make effective leaders and citizens of the world they are inheriting.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
PARENTS NEED THIS BOOK, 2008-04-23
The Medved's have performed an absolutely huge cultural service in writing this book. The brilliant and wise and refreshingly counter-cultural things they say within its covers should be shouted from every rooftop -- or at least shared enthusiastically at every place where parents gather. Read this book and tell other parents about it. They will thank you, and someday their kids will thank you.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 If your a good parent you know this, if your a bad parent you aren't reading this review, 2007-06-17
This book was at best okay. I agree that it is important to allow children to grow up slowly and preserve their sense of wonder and awe. Most parents will do the best that they can. This book goes over the top with trying to scare you into implimenting its suggestions. I think any engage parent understands most of what this book has to offer(Unfortunately we live in a time where there are a lot of parents that don't engage their children) and deals with it as best they can. It's another call for no more television, blah, blah, blah. Again, I feel that good parents are doing the good things that this book has to offer and the bad parents probably aren't going to even pick up this book. Life goes on
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Every parent who thinks you're helping your child by introducing them to "reality" at 3 yoa NEEDS to read this, 2006-11-08
It's refreshing to hear someone finally espouse an idea that's been clear to me for a long time and that seems to have been completely lost in today's society:
Children need to be introduced APPROPRIATELY to "reality".
Does it make for easier parenting? Not by any stretch. It takes diligence and effort to make intelligent decisions about what to expose your child to.
The idiotic idea that it's somehow better for a 5 year old to "see how things really are" is borne of lazy parents, both intellectually and physically.
If you want easy, don't have kids.
Thank you to the Medveds for writing this book- I hope some of the people I see writing reviews here have the sense, for their children's sake, to heed some of the advice.
13 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
 Innocence?, 2003-05-20
The idea of childhood as an idealized, golden time of sweet innocence is actually relatively new, culturally speaking, and it was invented by adults. Anyone who actually remembers their school days without glazing them over in sentimental nostalgia knows that children are not little angels untroubled by the sins and cynicism of their elders. Kids are basically little animals that, hopefully with the careful guidance of loving parents, may someday develop into responsible, moral human beings. If you don't believe this, go observe the kids playing at your local elementary school when they don't think the teachers are watching. Listen to the things they call each other, watch them push and shove and show off. There's your "innocence".Not that kids are little adults, either. They haven't yet formed some of the necessary cognitive, moral, and emotional constructs to understand the complicated issues that adults must. But they're human beings, and are fully capable of all the worst of human nature. The catch is, it's only by facing that side of ourselves that we learn not to be ruled by it. Otherwise why did God bother to burden us with the ability to choose wrongly?--because without knowing what you reject, choice is meaningless. What the Medveds are preaching is not the preservation of innocence--a comforting illusion dreamed up by adults--but a doctrine of willful ignorance. I am not surprised that their daughter was so upset by troubling news reports. Their attempt to shield her has apparently made her sense of security and optimism that much more fragile, easily broken by the merest intrusion of the rest of the world. As those children grow, they will either have to continue to shut out anything that disagrees with their tunnel-vision view of the world, or completely restructure their thinking. I would rather teach my children to face this world's trials, eyes wide open, in compassion and love, then teach them to hide from it in fear masquerading as "innocence".
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