Children First : What Society Must Do--and is Not Doing--for Children Today

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT ANALYSIS OF THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN
Review: This is an excellent read for all those who are truly concernedwith the welfare of children. While the economy has greatly alteredthe roles of both men and women, the question is raised whether it should be allowed to alter the needs of young children. Penelope Leach intelligently presents the thesis that the needs of young children must be placed above all else. This is ever the more significant in light of the recent popular press attention regarding the critical development that is going on in the brain during the first three years of life. These first three years of life are so important that it only goes to underscore the author's plea that each child receive one on one "parenting" during this time to insure optimal growth. This is certainly not a popular notion today in light of the two-earner family, however, society must still measure the cost of ignoring what science is telling us is important. This is not a nostalgic throw-back to the days of Ozzie and Harriet but rather a realistic analysis of what we as a society cannot discount.