Worried All the Time: Rediscovering the Joy of Parenting in an Age of Anxiety Book Report
Marina Mendizabal
HE 120
April 5, 2018
Book Report
Worried All the Time: Rediscovering the joy of parenting in an age of anxiety
Introduction: Book Report Form
- Worried All the time: Rediscovering the joys of parenting in an age of Anxiety
- David Anderegg
- Publisher: Free Press; First Edition edition (May 5, 2003)
Summary
For my book report I choose to read Worried all the time . In Anderegg’s book he talks about the worries of parents have when it comes to drug use, school violence (shooting), adolescent sexual behavior, putting children in child care and other multiple dilemmas. He brings up stories of parents he’s talked to through out his career as a psychologist and trys to answer the questions of parental worrying, all the “Why, & What If “ questions and why American parents are more worried in this generation than ever before.
Anderegg talks about many scientific research about social science and why, even in times of relative peace and relative plenty, do American parents worry so much about their kids? For me this book has helped me a lot by understanding that I’m not the only parent out there who over thinks and has a lot of worries for their children. My daily life consists of feeling guilty on whether I’m doing “parenting” thing right. I work and go to school, yet I feel I should be home more with my kids. I worry about them being in daycare to much, what if a shooting happens or some other accident etc.
The last chapter of the book really helped me understand that my worries are basically worries about myself that I have projected onto my children, Anderegg says, “We can worry about their competitive lives, or their corruption by the media, or their safety in school, and therefore not have to think about our own worries. But if parents can become aware of the facts and the fantasies that drive parental worrying, maybe we can all lead better, less worried lives. “.
Although I know that these situations are real and they have happened I shouldn’t be dwelling on them every single day. Parenting is hard enough without all the extra What if questions and worries added onto it.