Raising Resilient Kids

June 7, 2021
Good intentions and an original premise aren’t enough to salvage public health professor Spencer-Hwang’s superficial parenting guide, her debut. Dissatisfied with the bad parenting habits she’d fallen into, Spencer-Hwang interviewed her elderly neighbors to try to glean lessons from their experiences that could be translated into advice for contemporary struggling parents. Her analysis yielded eight resiliency principles that she insists will produce “immediate and long-term health and resilience”: “active movement, nature engagement, simple foods, resting reset, nurturing relationships, faith foundation, positive mindset, and helping hands.” Many of Spencer-Hwang’s tips, though, such as singing Mary Poppins songs to make chores easier, or rewarding the child who eats the most vegetables with an opportunity to blow out a candle, are only appropriate for the very young. Others are tailored to those who can afford ready-to-cook meals delivered by meal kit subscription services or who can decline additional work without consequences. Those looking for nuance and context will be disappointed, and Spencer-Hwang can come off as rather out-of-touch given such statements as “most parents drive their kids to school.” Give this one a pass.