Shocking new book advises parents to do the bare minimum - and parents love it!

What a relief

Content Editor / November 13 2018

In a world of helicopter parents and tiger parents battling to ensure their little darlings have a sparkling future, a new book is causing parents to breathe a sigh of relief.

Bare Minimum Parenting: The Ultimate Guide to Not Quite Ruining Your Child was written by comedy writer and Dad of four James Breakwell, who says we should “spare [our] kid years of heartbreak and let them be average from the get-go.”

While it would be nice to give birth to the next Mozart or Usain Bolt, chances are most of our children will grow up to be average, and what’s wrong with that?

“It’s not about neglecting your child,” Breakwell tells The Post. “It’s about not pointlessly overachieving.”

Parents who put huge amounts of pressure on their children may raise “successful” children in terms of career or financial status, James argues, but at what cost?

“Harvard isn’t known for producing cheerful graduates,” he writes. “Just rich ones.”

A more relaxed parent is a happier parent, too, which in turn means happier children. A 2015 study found that a mother’s stress is associated with more emotional and behavioral problems among children and adolescents.

“Parents have less capacity for supportive parenting when distressed,” says study co-author Melissa A. Milkie, a sociologist at the University of Toronto.

“Here’s a dirty little secret: Your kid isn’t going to make it in the NFL,” Breakwell writes. “Or in the NBA, WNBA or MLB for that matter… There’s nothing wrong with not achieving greatness at sports — or greatness at anything else.”

Nicola Conville has worked as a journalist and editor for more than 20 years across a wide range of print and online publications. Her areas of expertise are parenting, health and travel. She has two children; Lucy, age eight, and Nathan, age five.