The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed

Modern parenting is defined by an unprecedented level of overprotectiveness: parents now rush to school to deliver forgotten assignments, challenge teachers on report card disappointments, mastermind childrenamp;#8217;s friendships, and interfere on the playing field. As teacher, journalist, and parent Jessica Lahey explains, even though these parents see themselves as being highly responsive to their childrenamp;#8217;s well-being, they arenamp;#8217;t giving them the chance to experience failureamp;#8212;or the opportunity to learn to solve their own problems.

Everywhere she turned, Lahey saw an obvious and startling fear of failureamp;#8212;in both her students and her own children. This fear has the potential to undermine childrenamp;#8217;s autonomy, competence, motivation, and their relationships with the adults in their lives. Providing a clear path toward solutions, Lahey lays out a blueprint with targeted advice for handling homework, report cards, social dynamics, and sports. Most important, she sets forth a plan to help parents learn to step back and embrace their childrenamp;#8217;s setbacks along with their success.