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Hunt, Gather, Parent

What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans

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Hunt, Gather, Parent

Written by: Michaeleen Doucleff
Narrated by: Michaeleen Doucleff
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About this listen

New York Times Best Seller

The oldest cultures in the world have mastered the art of raising happy, well-adjusted children. What can we learn from them?

Hunt, Gather, Parent is full of smart ideas that I immediately wanted to force on my own kids.” (Pamela Druckerman, The New York Times Book Review)

When Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff becomes a mother, she examines the studies behind modern parenting guidance and finds the evidence frustratingly limited and the conclusions often ineffective. Curious to learn about more effective parenting approaches, she visits a Maya village in the Yucatán Peninsula. There she encounters moms and dads who parent in a totally different way than we do - and raise extraordinarily kind, generous, and helpful children without yelling, nagging, or issuing timeouts. What else, Doucleff wonders, are Western parents missing out on?

In Hunt, Gather, Parent, Doucleff sets out with her three-year-old daughter in tow to learn and practice parenting strategies from families in three of the world’s most venerable communities: Maya families in Mexico, Inuit families above the Arctic Circle, and Hadzabe families in Tanzania. She sees that these cultures don’t have the same problems with children that Western parents do. Most strikingly, parents build a relationship with young children that is vastly different from the one many Western parents develop - it’s built on cooperation instead of control, trust instead of fear, and personalized needs instead of standardized development milestones.

Maya parents are masters at raising cooperative children. Without resorting to bribes, threats, or chore charts, Maya parents rear loyal helpers by including kids in household tasks from the time they can walk. Inuit parents have developed a remarkably effective approach for teaching children emotional intelligence. When kids cry, hit, or act out, Inuit parents respond with a calm, gentle demeanor that teaches children how to settle themselves down and think before acting. Hadzabe parents are world experts on raising confident, self-driven kids with a simple tool that protects children from stress and anxiety, so common now among American kids.

Not only does Doucleff live with families and observe their techniques firsthand, she also applies them with her own daughter, with striking results. She learns to discipline without yelling. She talks to psychologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists, and sociologists and explains how these strategies can impact children’s mental health and development. Filled with practical takeaways that parents can implement immediately, Hunt, Gather, Parent helps us rethink the ways we relate to our children, and reveals a universal parenting paradigm adapted for American families.

©2021 Michaeleen Doucleff. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
Anthropology Children's Studies Parenting & Families Relationships Social Sciences Village Happiness Parenting Ancient

What the critics say

"NPR reporter Michaeleen Doucleff narrates this audiobook - part memoir and part guide on contemporary parenting. She is honest, clear, and thoughtful as she presents a wide range of research on parenting theories from many cultures. For those seeking new ways to connect with or better understand their children, this will be a welcome listen. Doucleff creates the feeling she is in your kitchen, swapping stories and wisdom of the ages. This title is easy on the ears, and the chapters go by swiftly. For an author turned narrator, she is very confident as she presents ideas from diverse sources. From the Inuit to city dwellers, Doucleff informs as she entertains, regaling us with advice of how to keep the peace." (AudioFile Magazine)

What listeners say about Hunt, Gather, Parent

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A must read for parents!!!!!

I cannot tell you how much I wish I had read this 30 years ago when my children were babies! Vital information, simply and powerfully explained. Read it and give it to every parent/ grandparent you know!
And then check www.UnschoolingSchool.com to see how we can apply the same fundamentals to education and give more autonomy and responsibility at school.
Heather MacTaggart

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Very enlightening

I will apply a lot from this book to my everyday life. It contains a lot of basic principals that are easily overlooked.

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Must read

Incredible book! The author has a great voice and it’s so easy to listen to. My only (minor) complaint is that she often pronounces “children” as “trilldren”

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excellent tips

I will definitely be implementing much of what the author discusses here. everything makes so much sense and she includes practical examples of doing everything.

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The only parenting book you need

I have read many parenting books and this by far is the best! It gives you so many useful tools and stories that make the book so enjoyable to listen to and so I useful to implement in your home! The tools are simple and effective!

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Amazing

This book opened my mind to things that made so much sense yet I had never thought of because of what we are told we should be doing as parents. I'm obsessed. Re listening for a second time and practicing what strategies the book suggests.

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10/10

I read reviews before reading the book, seemed like lots of complaints for no double blinded studies etc… but if you’ve ever travelled outside of America and Europe you know what she’s talking about. Kids everywhere else behave. You don’t have to take this book as science, just try some of her tips. It took me a week to read and in that time I tried a few of her suggestions with instant results. Very insightful on kids’ behaviour or at least a humbling perspective of how amazing kids are.

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Wow! I needed this book sooner

I’m so thankful for this audiobook. Over just the past few days I have already noticed a change in our household. I’m excited to continue implementing these changes with my two kids (ages 3 & 1.5), and I’m looking forward to creating the bond I had always hoped to have with them.

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Helpful

Good advice and practical ideas to incorporate into daily life. Very helpful, would recommend to any parent.

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pertinence

tellement pertinent et aidant ! ce livre a répondu à plusieurs questionnements comme maman.

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