They say it take a village to raise a child. But they never usually talk about the fact that how that child is raised is sure to affect the entire village. As a parent, I have always disciplined my children in a way that was best for my family, but I never really thought before about the way my parenting style could potentially affect society as a whole. That is until I read Parenting for a Peaceful World, by Robin Grille, an interesting book that delves into how child-rearing customs have shaped societies and major world events. Parenting for a Peaceful World looks at how children adapt to different parenting styles and describes how these early experiences underpin the adults they become.

 

After an intense (and somwhat horrifying) look at the history of child rearing though the ages, Parenting for a Peaceful World walks you through what Grille calls the "five rites of passage of core emotional development" -- in other words, the five stages of ealy child development. Grille defines these stages as: