The Price of Privilege is another parenting book highlighting the plight of parenting in this day and age. The author is a psychologist who treats a lot of wealthy family kids – especially teenagers. The case studies themselves are enough to make you feel unbelievably sad and unhappy. It gets you thinking about your childhood and that of your kids. You hope and pray that you are doing everything right and the doing your best is enough. But there are so many little incidents that ring true that make you think, is that me? Will that happen to my girls?
The book is split up into four parts with nine chapters:
Part 1: America’s new “At Risk” child
Chapter 1 – The Paradox of Privilege
Chapter 2 – The Not-so-Hidden Mental Health Epidemic Among Privileged Youth
Chapter 3 – Why Money Doesn’t Buy Mental Health
Part 2: How the culture of affluence works against the development of self
Chapter 4 – What Is a Healthy “Self”?
Chapter 5 – Different Ages, Different Parenting Strategies
Part 3: Parenting For Autonomy
Chapter 6 – How We Connect Makes All the Difference
Chapter 7 – Discipline and Control: The Tough Job of Being the “Bad Cop”
Part 4: Why you have to stand on your own two feet before your children can stand on theirs
Chapter 8 – Challenges to Effective Parenting in the Culture of Affluence
Chapter 9 – Having Everything Except What We Need Most: The Isolation of Affluent Moms
The first part looks into the type of children that are coming to see the doctor to be treated for depression or bad behaviour. There are case studies which goes into detail what it is that needs to be treated.
The second part is almost technical explaining what it is that makes good kids and how to parent at different ages. It then shows how being rich can work against this.
The third part delves into the type of parent you might be. There are three types of parents – the authoritarian, the permissive and the authorative which is the type you need to be.
The final part and especially the final chapters emphasis how you need to be well and looked after yourself before you can look after others.
My Thoughts
The annoying part of this book is that one moment it is saying that you do need to help your child. If you child is depressed or unhappy or in trouble, you shouldn’t be dismissive. On the other hand, it says you shouldn’t get too involved with your kids that you end up being or using them for your own emotional needs. In every scenario that is described in the book, the first answer to the solution is it depends.
It is good to read about different scenarios and different case studies so that you can think about what you would do if you ever come across a similar situation. It also feels very scary and very strange to be parenting kids in this day and age.
This is a good book on the whole because even if you think you are not rich enough to be affected by it, there are little bits and pieces that can hit home. We no longer live in time and age our parents or grandparents lived in and the problems we have are unique and different to our generation.
A Quote from Facebook:
How to be a mum in 2017 Make sure your children’s academic, emotional, psychological, mental, spiritual, physical, nutritional and social needs are met while being careful not to overstimulate, under stimulate, improperly medicate, helicopter or neglect them in a screen free, processed food free, GMO-free, negative energy free, plastic free, body positive, socially conscious, egalitarian but also nurturing but fostering of independence, gentle but not overly permissive, pesticide free two story multi-lingual home preferably in a cul-de-sac with a backyard and 1.5 siblings spaced at least two years apart for proper development. Also, don’t forget the coconut oil. How to be a mum in literally every generation before ours: Feed them sometimes.
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An accountant and a Mum 