Encore How Parenting Became A Verb Tuesday, December 27, 2022

When did “parenting” become a verb? Why is it so hard to parent, and so rife with the possibility of failure? Sitcom families of the past—the Cleavers, the Bradys, the Conners—didn't seem to lose any sleep over their parenting methods. Today, parents are likely to be up late, doomscrolling on parenting websites. In Long Days, Short Years, Andrew Bomback—physician, writer, and father of three young children—looks at why it can be so much fun to be a parent but, at the same time, so frustrating and difficult to parent. It's not a “how to” book (although Bomback has read plenty of these) but a “how come” book, investigating the emergence of an immersive, all-in approach to raising children that has made parenting a competitive (and often not very enjoyable) sport. To learn more about Andy and his book, Long Days, Short Years, go to: https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/long-days-short-years and you can find your host, Eva Medilek, at www.evamedilek.com or connect with Eva directly at www.talkwitheva.com