Taking Back Childhood: Helping Your Kids Thrive in a Fast-Paced, Media-Saturated, Violence-Filled World
by Nancy Carlsson-Paige

“There are three attributes critical to all children’s healthy development: time and space for creative play, a feeling of security in today’s often frightening world, and strong, meaningful relationships with both adults and other children. Whether you are a parent or an educator, my goal is to help you prepare and succeed in providing these elements to the children you are raising.” – Nancy Carlsson-Paige

“From where I am sitting today, I am profoundly concerned about our nation’s children. Life is far more challenging for children and parents today than it was only a generation ago, when I was raising my kids. These days, a host of social forces and trends is putting tremendous pressure on children and their parents: Entertainment media are too often replacing active, child-centered play and social time with peers and family. Constant depictions of violence, aggression, and disrespect towards others are immersing kids in a world where “might makes right.” Exposure to frightening news reports that only seem to confirm the violent messages pervading kids’ entertainment leave many children fearful and insecure. Aggressive marketing campaigns aimed at kids are pushing a host of products, toys and values on children, teaching them to value “having” over “being” from an early age. Economic and time pressures on parents are leading them to quick-fix approaches to discipline and to rely on “electronic babysitters” like TV’s, Game Boys, and X-Boxes. An overemphasis on standardized tests in our schools is robbing children of genuine learning opportunities and resulting in the loss of unstructured play, arts activities, and social time, all of which are essential to their well-being. Childhood as we know it is being stolen from our children, and it is time for us, as concerned parents, to take it back.

Given that these basic needs of our children are in danger, I deeply believe that we, as concerned parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and educators can no longer wait for our society as a whole to become more supportive of children. Yes, we need public policies that protect kids from coercive media and marketing, including restrictions on advertising to young children and prohibitions on marketing violence to children. Yes, we need affordable national daycare and after-school programs, active classroom learning approaches tailored to children’s individual interests and talents, and conflict resolution programs. But while we work towards these policy changes, we can also take a more active approach as parents and caregivers. As the adults who still wage the most important influence in our children’s lives, we have within our hands—right here, right now—the ability to restore the critical experiences and tools that society has slowly but too surely taken away from our kids.”

So begins Taking Back Childhood: Helping Your Kids Thrive in a Fast-Paced, Media-Saturated, Violence-Filled World, which reveals practical, hands-on approaches parents can take to create a safe, open, and imaginative environment in which kids can relish childhood and flourish as human beings. Based on renowned early childhood development expert Dr. Nancy Carlsson-Paige’s thirty years of researching and writing about young children, this groundbreaking book helps parents navigate the social currents shaping, and too often harming, the lives of kids today—and restore childhood to the very best of what it can and should be.

One only need turn on the TV, stroll the aisles of any toy store, or visit any American elementary school to witness the formidable social trends that, over the past few decades, have begun to erode the quality of kids’ lives—from media violence and rampant consumerism, to overly structured school days and overly wired (yet emotionally disconnected) relationships. What parent doesn’t think back longingly to a time when carefree play with other kids and a simpler life was the norm? Childhood should be a precious time of oasis from the realities of the adult world, yet in today’s fast-paced, achievement-obsessed, ever-more-dangerous society, this is increasingly not the case.

Based on renowned early childhood development expert Nancy Carlsson-Paige’s thirty years of researching and writing about young children, this groundbreaking book helps parents navigate the cultural currents shaping, and too often harming, the lives of kids today and restore childhood to the very best of what it can and should be.

This book provides an important road map to help parents bring creative play, quality relationships, and a sense of confidence and personal safety back into their kids’ lives.

Taking Back Childhood is a recipient of the CNE SEAL OF EXCELLENCE AWARD presented by Children of the New Earth Magazine to products and books that are outstanding in their field and highly recommended to parents. (www.childrenofthenewearth.com)

About the Author

NANCY CARLSSON-PAIGE, Ed.D., is a Professor of Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA where she has taught teachers for 30 years, and a research affiliate at Lesley’s Center for Children, Families, and Public Policy. Since the mid-1980’s, Nancy has been researching and writing about how violence, especially in the media, affects children's social development, and is a recognized national expert on this subject. She also teaches and writes about how children learn to be peacemakers–how the skills for caring relationships and positive conflict resolution can grow in children and young people.

Nancy has co-authored four books and written numerous articles on media violence, conflict resolution, peaceable classrooms and global education. Nancy is a consultant for public television, and has worked on shows for Arthur, Postcards from Buster, Zoom and Fetch.