The Gift of Failure

We are the generation that invented over-parenting. For all our best intentions to protect our children from tripping up - rushing to school to deliver forgotten lunches, or correcting their homework to ensure they gain top marks - we are in danger of depriving them of the most important lessons of childhood. As Jessica Lahey demonstrates, disappointments, rejections and criticism are actually opportunities in disguise. Again and again, the students from her classes who have gone on to become the happiest and most successful adults are the ones who were allowed to suffer the consequences of their mistakes. In this fascinating book, packed with case studies and practical advice, Lahey proposes a gentle but vital shift in the way we parent. She urges us to step back and trust our children, and allow them to experience the joy of succeeding on their terms rather than ours.