How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims

I always like to do a parenting or education book in September for the Everyday Reading Book Club and I’ve been excited about How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims since the authors of last year’s September book, The Self-Driven Child, recommended it during our book club chat.

And they weren’t wrong – this is a TERRIFIC book that pretty much every parent could benefit from reading.

How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success by Julie Lythcott-Haims

The book is divided into four sections.

The first is called “What We’re Doing Now” and it’s all about what the current landscape of parenting looks like – childhood that’s highly supervised and planned, schoolwork that’s scrutinized (and sometimes even DONE) by parents, and the unblinking focus on college prep and acceptance.

The second section is called “Why We Must Stop Overparenting” and it’s all about the harm that comes from overparenting, not just for kids, but also for adults. And it lasts much longer than 18 years.

The third section “Another Way” is what I love to see in a book like this – practical advice for how to avoid overparenting and help your children grow up into confident, capable adults.

And finally, the last short section is called “Daring to Parent Differently” about how to become the parent you want to be and that your children need you to be.

How to Raise an Adult is PACKED with great stories and studies and it’s so motivating for me as a parent to give my children the space to explore the world around them, discover their own drive and interests and be ready for adulthood.

If you feel pressure to helicopter parent because all the parents around you are or are getting sucked into the mindset that if your child doesn’t go to an Ivy League school, they’ll probably end up living in a cardboard box on a street corner, this book is for you.

And if you feel like you’re not a helicopter parent, but want practical advice about how to stick to your standards, this book is for you too.

Basically, I think this book is for every parent – it is so smart, fascinating, and useful. I truly think every person who interacts with children in any way would benefit from reading it.

Have you read it? I’d love to hear what you think!

If you liked How to Raise an Adult, you might like these posts too:

• The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives
• My favorite parenting books
• The Secrets of Happy Families