February 15, 2000

"In our society, where parents feel pressured to enroll children in preschool while they are still in utero, this is a refreshing splash of cold water. In contrast to "winning above all else," Rosenfeld, a child psychiatrist, advocates "just playing" and just spending time with one's children rather than living the overbooked life of a typical soccer mom. He notes that family schedules are at a breaking point and that parents face a great deal of guilt and anxiety because they cannot give their children everything. He promotes the need for more balance and suggests that parents take to heart Dr. Spock's advice for parents to trust themselves. He further recommends abandoning the notion that parents' lives revolve solely around their children and revisits the concept of children being a part of the daily discourse of a family, where they learn a great deal more about living by having  the opportunity to observe adults in an adult world. A wake up call to parents everywhere; recommended without reservation for public libraries."