Abigail Shrier’s book “Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren’t Growing Up” argues against the prevailing trend of infantilizing American children. Shrier contends that authoritative parenting, which provides love, discipline, and boundaries, produces the happiest and most resilient children. However, she observes a disturbing reliance on parenting experts who pathologize and therapize normal childhood behaviors. This therapeutic approach undermines parental authority and fosters weakness rather than strength in children. Shrier criticizes the trend of “gentle parenting” that prioritizes feelings over behaviors and advocates for a return to authoritative parenting. She warns against the overdiagnosis of mental health issues in children and the growing influence of therapists in their lives. Shrier proposes the establishment of a counter-cultural group of pediatric healthcare providers, dubbed the Hippocratic Society, to advocate for authoritative parenting and protect children from unnecessary interventions.
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/replace-the-parenting-experts/
