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Robert Shaw claims that The Epidemic "is not a ‘how-to
book,' but a ‘what is necessary book,’” and as such it
stands alone as a guide to child-parent relations. Shaw
points out the increasing incidence of joyless, screaming,
sulking children in restaurants, shopping malls, and
cinemas, and their parents, who complain about, bribe or
ignore their unruly children. This trend must be stopped
before it reaches epidemic proportions, and according to
Shaw it must be stopped immediately and is down to the
parents to curb it.
This timely book tells you, as parents, how you can save
your children from this epidemic. While society and the
media are partially to blame, the bulk of responsibility is
with the parent. But all is not lost. In each chapter Shaw
discusses stages of child development, negative behavior to
watch out for, and how to correct it before it gains control
and your kids become sociopaths.
The chapters discuss in detail how to develop an appropriate
and healthy bond with your child. This begins during the
early stages of development, which, Shaw points out, in our
day and age is fraught with tensions such as mothers having
to return to work when they may want longer maternity leave,
the suitability of live-in or daily child care, and demands
from other family members.
As our children grow older, Shaw reminds us how important it
is to set limits and reinforce boundaries, that our children
need structure and fair discipline in order to develop
honest and respectful personalities. He gives advice of how
to instill respect, moral and ethical values and
accountability and trust.
This book is a refreshing contrast to many books on
parenting which confuse parents with their contradictory
advice or disempower them with their profesionalese.
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The Epidemic: The Rot of American Culture, Absentee & Permissive Parenting, & the Resultant Plague of Joyless, Selfish Children