Hunt, Gather, Parent

I recently read a fabulous new parenting book called Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans by Michaeleen Douchleff (if you’re an avid NPR listener you might recognize her name as an NPR correspondent). Douchleff shares her personal experience of visiting three diverse cultures - Mayan families in Mexico, Inuit families in the Arctic Circle, and Hadzabe families in Tanzania to “discover” (i.e., previously unknown to her) parenting strategies. Her storytelling style alternates between sharing humorous tales of just trying to get through the day parenting her own spirited three year old daughter (you’ll laugh as you cringe!) and the research base supporting the parenting practices handed down for generations in the villages she visits.

The book is a light read filled with realistic “how to” tips that she gleaned from real parents and has field-tested on her own daughter in her own American culture. This book might revamp the whole way you think about parenting, or just validate the approach you already use. Either way, it’s a delightful read!