The Collapse of Parenting: How We Hurt Our Kids When We Treat Them Like Grown-Ups

In this New York Times bestseller, one of America’s premier physicians offers a must-read account of the new challenges facing parents today and a program for how we can better prepare our children to navigate the obstacles they face

In The Collapse of Parenting, internationally acclaimed author Leonard Sax argues that rising levels of depression and anxiety among young people can be traced to parents abdicating their authority. The result is children who lack self-control, who look to their peers and to social media for direction. Sax shows how parents can and must reassert their authority--for example by limiting screen time, by prioritizing the family, and by teaching humility and perspective--to renew their relationships with their children.

In this new edition, completely revised and updated with new stories, new evidence, and new recommendations, Dr. Sax provides concrete guidance for parents seeking to help their children fulfill their potential in the midst of a toxic culture. Drawing on more than thirty years of experience as a family physician and psychologist, along with hundreds of interviews with children, parents, and teachers, Sax offers a blueprint parents can use to help their children thrive in an increasingly broken world.

Leonard Sax, MD, PhD, is a board-certified family physician, psychologist, and author of Why Gender Matters, Boys Adrift, and Girls on the Edge. Dr. Sax has visited more than five hundred schools worldwide and has appeared on major radio and television programs including the Today show, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NPR’s Weekend Edition. Sax lives with his family in Chester County, Pennsylvania.