I like this book because it is not the usual parenting book. The author is actually investigating how many cultures other than Western culture parent so much of what she is reporting goes against traditional American parenting books.

It is rare for me to come across a parenting book that I can still apply with my kiddos who are 11 and 7. However, this book blew me away. It didn't focus on tips to make us more productive as parents or to change our children's' behavior, but rather focused on the ways in which how we parent now impacts the skills our children will need into adulthood. I think that is what I loved most about this book - the focus was really on developing life-long traits, not necessarily changing a child's behavior. As someone with a bit of a travel bug and an interest in cultures other than my own, the fact that these lessons were gleaned from indigenous cultures from around the world made the book even more engaging. This allowed for examination on the priorities and philosophies Americans place as primary in our culture and what it can look like if we structure our priorities a little bit differently and explore a new normal for our families.

As a mom of twins this book was calling my name. I really enjoyed the advice in this book. The way that parenting is approached by folks outside of "western" societies felt very intuitive to me. I love backing off, encouraging kids to be helpful, and not over praising them.

The part I struggled with this book was that it was too long and filled with too much observations and scene setting. I didn't need the commentary. I also found that Doucleff, a white woman, tried to say she wasn't fetishizing the Black and brown communities she learned from, but it still felt that way. Referring to people as "super parents" was a turn off. She seemed to be in awe of them and really romanticized their communities and lessons.

Overall I liked this book and read it quickly (though I did skim a lot of the exposes in each chapter). I appreciated the different ideas on parenting as well as the concrete steps to implement these tactics.

The book Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff examines parenting styles in other parts of the world. In this novel, Mrs. Doucleff embarks on trips to examine parenting styles in multiple global locations. She examines parenting in Mexico, the Arctic, and Tanzania. She discovers that other cultures do not experience the same issues that are evident in the Western world. The relationships that parents exhibit with their children in Mexico, Arctic, and Tanzania are different than those in the United States. Not only does Mrs. Doucleff present her observations and interviews of these families, but she also, provides relevant information from other professionals also studying relationships and parenting such as: psychologists and researchers. This book provides strategies that parents can use in order to get their child to help and be a functioning, independent member of the family without nagging, yelling, and bribing. This book is a highly interesting read and I recommend it to any parent interested In improving his/her child’s independence, willingness to help, and improving cooperation. I thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy for my reading and review.

As a mom of 3 and a teacher I loved this book! When I found out I was pregnant with my first I devoured every book on pregnancy and parenting that there was. They proved unhelpful. My babies never stuck to a routine or a schedule and my toddler was so strong willed all the advice out there worked for a day and then that was it. I wish I would have had this book then. I loved how the author researched and studied parenting across the board and didn't focus on western parenting. I found myself shaking my head as I read and only wished that I would have had this book when I first started out on my parenting journey!