The Wild and Free Family: Forging Your Own Path to a Life Full of Wonder, Adventure, and Connection

Parents can “live a more meaningful, adventurous life” with their families, l, advises Arment (The Call of the Wild and Free), creator of an online homeschool community, in this gentle look at “carving your own wild path in the midst of modern culture.” Twelve years ago, Arment, her husband, and their two kids left their life in the Atlanta suburbs serving a “company’s purpose, society’s purpose, [and] the school system’s purpose” and moved to Virginia Beach, where they began their homeschool community. Insisting that parents get to choose whether their kids grow up stressed or peaceful, Arment covers such topics as misbehavior (suggesting a three-step process of “calming... connecting... and communicating with” kids), creating a family culture (laying out “your values and vision”), embracing adventure as a classroom (getting outdoors), and how to “not grow weary” as a parent (accepting help during difficult times is a good idea). While readers in search of statistics and case studies won’t find them here, Arment nonetheless offers a wealth of personal anecdotes and feel-good wisdom—understanding kids, she writes, “is realizing, as they grow, that they don’t merely change but become more themselves.” For parents looking to “cast aside convention,” this is just right. (Aug.)