***INSTANT New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller***
2023 Gold Winner — Nautilus Book Award
World-class pediatric surgeon, social scientist, and best-selling author of
Thirty Million Words Dr. Dana Suskind returns with a revelatory new look at the neuroscience of early childhood development—and how it can guide us toward a future in which every child has the opportunity to fulfill their potential.
Her prescription for this more prosperous and equitable future, as clear as it is powerful, is more robust support for parents during the most critical years of their children’s development. In her poignant new book,
Parent Nation, written with award-winning science writer Lydia Denworth, Dr. Suskind helps parents recognize both their collective identity and their formidable power as custodians of our next generation.
Weaving together the latest science on the developing brain with heart-breaking and relatable stories of families from all walks of life, Dr. Suskind shows that the status quo—scores of parents convinced they should be able to shoulder the enormous responsibility of early childhood care and education on their own—is not only unsustainable, but deeply detrimental to the wellbeing of children, families, and society.
Anyone looking for a blueprint for how to build a brighter future for our children will find one in
Parent Nation. Informed by the science of foundational brain development as well as history, political science, and the lived experiences of families around the country, this book clearly outlines how society can and should help families meet the developmental needs of their children. Only then can we ensure that all children are able to enjoy the promise of their potential.
A detailed, impassioned argument from an early childhood development specialist that will change the way we think about the practical importance of the parent-child bond.
Weaving together neuroscience, strategies for parents and policy prescriptions with powerful stories of adversity and hope, Dr. Dana Suskind, founder of the Thirty Million Words Initiative offers a revelatory new look at early childhood and the often-unrecognized essentials for optimal brain development that parents are in the best position to deliver. Written with award-winning science writer Lydia Denworth, PARENT NATION uses brain science to lead us ultimately to a society delivering far more robust support for the first years of life.
The natural follow-up to Dr. Suskind's THIRTY MILLION WORDS (Dutton; 2015) which revolutionized the way we understand parent-child communication, showing how important it is for children to hear as many spoken words as they can, PARENT NATION goes further, definitively describing the critical improvements parents can make to a child's brain development. This book explains exactly what parents need to know about enhancing healthy brain development-how to physically interact with kids (at their level), how to talk about math, new ideas on how to build grit and character, among many other practical insights.
Readers will see from fascinating research illustrated with compelling stories that across ethnicities, faiths, and the socio-economic spectrum, kids need essentially the same things when it comes to healthy brain development-and it all starts with the parents.
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