The Epidemic by Robert Shaw

Wherever I go--in stores, on the street, in restaurants, in people's homes--I see repetitious scenes of whining, and tantrums, and --even more upsetting--an increasing number of kids who look sullen, unrelated, and unhappy. These kids are in the early stages of what I believe is a serious epidemic of disturbed children; those who become school shooters are simply at the far end of the spectrum.

The behavior of thee discontented, joyless children is so common these days that many people no longer considerit abnormal.

The subtitle to this book is:

The Rot of American Culture, Absentee and Permissive Parenting, and the Resultant Plague of Joyless, Selfish Children.
I started looking at this book fully expecting to recoil, as I did from The Strongwilled Child (the review of which it turns out I haven't posted yet). But this isn't some fundie Christian anti-feminist dogma.

Shaw is a seasoned psychiatrist, and was the chief of the Family and Children's Mental Health Services in Berkeley, which establishes his liberal cred.

This book is really useful. If you have a nagging suspicion your kid isn't "quite right" --Shaw provides

milestones your child should be hitting, emotionally, behaviorally, and ethically, and solid cues

You can buy it at Amazon, here.

If you agree with Bob Shaw, and want to be part of a conversation about changing how we bring up children, you can join him here. Some other reviews and shopping opportunities are at e-notalone. You can read a somewhat breathless review at USA Today here.

Most of the reviews have been favorable to highly favorable; if you disagree, please post here.