Family Unfriendly Audiobook By Timothy P. Carney cover art

Family Unfriendly

How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder than It Needs to Be

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Family Unfriendly

By: Timothy P. Carney
Narrated by: Timothy P. Carney
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About this listen

The bestselling author of Alienated America traveled the country asking families and experts the same two questions: Why is parenting so hard now? And why are the results so bad?

Our culture tells parents there's one best way to raise kids: enroll them in a dozen activities, protect them from trauma, and get them into the most expensive college you can. If you can't do that, don't bother.

How is that going? Record rates of anxiety, depression, medication, debts, loneliness and more. In Family Unfriendly, bestselling author and Washington Examiner columnist Timothy P. Carney says it's time to end this failed experiment in overparenting.

Have more kids, have more fun, cancel the travel soccer games, let your kids wander off, and give them deeper sources of meaning than material success.

This is an old-fashioned view, but every day the evidence validates it. Drawing on rigorous research—both as a reporter and as a dad of six—Carney demonstrates why modern parenting is so misguided. The high standards set for modern American parenting are unrealistic and setting parents—and our kids—up to fail.

Researched over three years and written in between rec baseball games and church picnics where nobody was watching the kids, Family Unfriendly is deeply wise, energetically told, and destined to be the most consequential book about parenting in years.

©2023 Timothy P. Carney (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
Children's Studies Marriage & Long-Term Partnerships Parenting & Families Sociology Inspiring
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What listeners say about Family Unfriendly

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Have more babies!

Clearly articulates why having more children is better for everyone. Highly recommend taking this book seriously!

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Provoking content

Liked the wide variety of research the author appealed to in making his argument. Well written and thought-provoking.

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Loved it.

This was great. Really appreciate the authors time and energy spent on this. It really makes me envious for stronger community and more kids

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Insightful, inspiring and very funny.

Listened to this book with my fiancée. The book is very insightful, thoughtful and a must read. We often laughed at the author’s dad jokes and will think about it as we settle down in the future to Bz”H (g-d willing) raise a beautiful family.

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Authenticity

Well written, easy to read and relatable. No doubt you will enjoy this book.well worth the investment .

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Very Insightful

This book is a great listen. The analysis about civilizational sadness towards the end was brilliant. It provided a lot of insight into many social issues.

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Phenomenal Insight

We need to make a change in our society! This book sheds some light on the way.

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Must listen for anyone with young kids or considering kids or not considering kids

His research backed hard truths were something everyone needs to hear- male or female, kids or no kids. This book supports all of my feelings about child bearing and rearing and it was comforting to know this message will be getting out to the larger population and hopefully grow more like minded parents. What important work! Thank you to the author for this important contribution to society!

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The change in culture and religious beliefs since the 60’s.

I loved the way this book presented family; large families as a joy. It is a joy to see your babies face and little hands and feet. It is a joy to see your children enjoy each other and learn sharing and love for one another as they grow up together. This is a book all of an age where they might enter into a relationships that

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Worthwhile book

This book is at its best when addressing the steps individual parents can take to lower the intensity of parenting to make it easier and more enjoyable while also being better for kids. Things like avoiding hyper competitive travel sports, living in a walkable community where you can let your kids have some freedom to roam to the park and play with friends, and surrounding yourself with other families to make parenting a communal experience rather than one of isolation are all good things.
This book mostly makes the case to parents that parenting can be easier and shows them how in the hopes they’ll have more kids. It does a pretty good job there. What it does not do as well is address the root causes of declining rates of marriage and committed partnering that are responsible for most of the childless adults driving the baby bust. It seems like that’s a much harder thing to solve and those people are having a harder time than the married but childless.

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