“Dear mama, don’t let society tell you what’s important for your child’s education. Decide for yourself.” – page 251 of Wild + Free

I’m starting with this quote because the Wild + Free community is a society of sorts, and this quote comes 251 pages after Arment has been telling this mama what’s best for her kid. I’m confused.

I wanted to love this book, but there were so many pieces of it that felt culty/preachy and a handful of hypocrisies (like the above mentioned) as well as strawman commentary and claims.

For example (regarding having children outdoors for at least six hours a day): “From the rising number of behavioral and learning disabilities to the lure of the glowing screen, children need a provocative alternative.” – page 237

Did Arment just allude that playing outdoors will be the cure for behavioural and learning disabilities? This former Special Education Teacher and Administrator scoffs at such a claim, and is quite disgusted to think that it’s implied that we can “outdoor play it out of the kid.” Perhaps this should have been mentioned to my ADHD, ODD, Dyslexic husband when he was a kid! Alas, outdoor play – which he participated in every single day – should have been his grand solution!

And then lines like this had me scratching my head and wondering: Are you advocating for homeschooling or for children not pursuing secondary education, during one of the most challenging and competitive job marketplaces? And are you trying to make parents comfortable with the idea that homeschooling doesn’t lead children on a path to college? Because I don’t think that’s a good look either.

Page 135 – “A college degree, it seems, no longer equates to a secure financial future.” and, “As parents, we all want what’s best for our children – to be happy, healthy, and financially stable – and none of us want to shortchange their potential. But don’t believe the lie that a college degree is guaranteed to lead to all, if any, of those outcomes.” – Sure, college degrees can be useless; I’m not even really using mine, to be honest. But it’s not a lie when it comes to working in STEM, it’s not a lie for becoming a journalist, it’s not a lie for pursuing a successful career in the arts industry. NOTHING secures a definitively positive financial future. But that doesn’t mean we need to paint further education with the brush of “doom.”

And: “Consider Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, and Mark Zuckerberg – all college dropouts who used their passion and grit to get where they are today.” Yeah, but 3 out of the 4 people you mentioned were also super geniuses with a high IQ. Not every kiddo has got the brain of a modern-day Einstein. Let’s not make parents delusional, here.

There were many gems that I highlighted as I read along with the book, such as this one on page 91: “Our children are not personal projects to prove our competence to outsiders. They are unique individuals, beautiful souls, who need our support both privately and publicly.”

And this one on page 18: “Let’s hold on to the grand vision of raising and educating our children according to their way. Let’s not allow the noise and clutter of our culture to cast doubt on ourselves or let our insecurities et in the way of what we have been called to do.”

But the air of clique and the weird statements throughout tainted the reading experience for me. I didn’t get from this book what I was hoping to get.

2.5 stars out of five

xx
Claudia of @AwakenedLittleSouls

P.S. Please note, I’m a really harsh and critical book reviewer!