Parents Book Club at South

 Next week, the community reading group at South will meet to begin discussing Jonathan Haidt's book, The Anxious Generation. I hope you'll join us! 

All are invited to meet in the South Media Center on TUESDAY, 2/4 at 7:00 PM to discuss the first 2 parts of Haidt's book. 

• The Introduction & "A Tidal Wave: The Surge of Suffering" lay out the landscape of adolescents' plummeting mental wellness over the past 15-20 years. 
• In Part 2, "The Backstory: The Decline of the Play-Based Childhood," Haidt explores parenting & societal changes and the impacts on kids' social skills and development.

In all, it's about 110 pages of reading, but it's not hard reading. Also, a bunch of the South teachers are listening to the audiobook and said it's good, if that's easier for you! 
After February break, we'll meet on 2/25 to discuss the next section, where Haidt lays out the current setting for adolescents in a smartphone-enabled, social-media filled world. On 3/18, we'll discuss the final section where Haidt recommends steps we can take right now to improve things for our kids. What does South/Braintree agree with? What's working well & what are other towns doing? What else could we do? If you can only make it to 1 or 2 sessions, feel free to join the conversation. Or, plan to join for whichever sections interest you. Sign up in advance--https://forms.gle/kCYKACH9tJdm5ey58--or just drop in!

I'm interested, but I didn't order the book yet. What should I do?
Amazon delivers quickly and the hardcover is still 47% off. Each chapter has a bullet-point summary, so even if you don't finish all the reading, you'll be able to skim quickly and get the idea of what Haidt's talking about. There is really no pressure to have read every word; if the discussion is the best way for you to gather the information, I hope you'll join us.

I can't come to all the meetings. What should I do?
Join us for whatever nights you can make it. No pressure!

What if I'm not sure I'll be available?
Walk-ins are welcome! Or, if you can't make it at 7 but will be available later, drop on by. Invite your friends, neighbors, and your kids' teammates, even if they don't go to South. A big piece of Haidt's recommendations is that changes can be made if there's strength in numbers. Even if you can't attend, I hope you'll consider reading the book. The more people who are armed with this information, the better off our kids will be. If you are interested in reading The Anxious Generation, you can try to check the book out from the library, or purchase it:

• Amazon.com (50% the hardcover right now)
• Kindle
• Bookshop.org - support local bookshops while you're at it!
• Audiobook on Spotify
• Audiobook on Audible

Be prepared for an emotional response to the book. The teachers who are reading or listening to it for South's professional reading group have talked about needing to put it down at certain points when they've been overcome thinking about the world we're raising our children in. Together, we can find ways to make things better!