Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Teach Us about the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful, Little Humans, Doucleff Michaeleen

When Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff became a mother, she examined the studies behind modern parenting guidance and found that the evidence was frustratingly limited and the conclusions often ineffective. If all the might of contemporary Western psychology couldnt supply the answers to her parenting questions, she began to wonder if an opposite approach was needed--one founded on traditional wisdom, like the knowledge and experience passed down over hundreds, even thousands, of years within ancient cultures. With her young daughter in tow, she traveled across the world to observe and practice parenting strategies alongside families in three of the worlds most venerable communities: Maya families in Mexico, Inuit families above the Arctic Circle, and Hadzabe families in Tanzania.

Dr. Doucleff soon learned that these cultures dont have the same problems with children that Western parents do. Most strikingly, parents build a relationship with young children that is vastly different from the one many Western parents develop--its built on cooperation instead of control; trust instead of fear; and personalized needs instead of standardized development milestones.