Dec. 30, 2022

Best of: Michaeleen Doucleff on What's Missing in Western Parenting

Turns out Western parenting isn’t the way things need to be–the key to happy kids is doing less. Michaeleen Doucleff, author of "Hunt, Gather, Parent," explains what ancient cultures can teach us about helping kids thrive by being hands-off.

Do you feel like you're in a constant state of verbal contact with your kids - either arguing, praising, or commanding, all day long? So did Michaeleen Doucleff, until she went on assignment to the Yucatan to learn about Mayan methods of parenting.

Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff is a science reporter for NPR and the author of the New York Times best-seller Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Can Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful Little Humans. In this "Best Of" interview Amy, Margaret, and Michaeleen discuss:

  • The power of NOT negotiating with your child
  • Tenets of WEIRD parenting (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic)
  • How Michaeleen's relationship with her daughter has improved with these techniques


Taking note of how much you insert yourself into your child's activities during the day - and making a conscious effort to do so less - is a very important part of improving both your child's behavior and your relationship with them.

Here's where you can find Michaeleen:


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