The Progressive Parent: Harnessing the Power of Science and Social Justice to Raise Awesome Kids

Senapathy, a science journalist and parent of two, presents an underwhelming exploration of how left-leaning parents can raise their children in ways that reflect their values. Senapathy is at their best when examining how social inequities taint traditional parenting guidance. For instance, they contend that breastfeeding’s benefits are often overstated because scientific research on the subject fails to account for the fact that breastfeeding study participants are usually wealthier and better able to afford quality healthcare than their formula-using peers, making it appear that their children’s superior health outcomes are due to breastfeeding when in actuality they reflect breastfeeding parents’ greater resources. Unfortunately, most of the book is devoted to lengthy defenses of progressive stances, crowding out the scant parenting advice. A chapter on race thoroughly debunks the notion that it has any biological basis, but suggestions to “take any opportunity to undermine race in our parenting” and “share power by setting an example” are too vague to be helpful. Parenting barely factors into Senapathy’s measured discussion of nuclear energy’s benefits and condemnation of corporate greenwashing, which concludes with familiar recommendations to recycle and eat less meat. There’s disappointingly little practical guidance, and progressive readers likely already agree with the positions Senapathy spends most of the volume defending. Despite good intentions, this falls short. Agent: Chris Bucci, Aevitas Creative Management. (Aug.)