My Springfield Mommy Praises New Book that Reveals the Power of Parents to Benefit or to Harm Society
Madison, WI (PRWEB) October 29, 2013 -- On October 8, 2013, Margie Brill, book reviewer for My Springfield Mommy, described Parent Power-The Key to America’s Prosperity by Dr. Jack Westman as "an amazing book that puts it all out there. It totally makes sense. Our society has things backwards. Children are our future and some people, most of our nation really, do not value parenthood."
In Parent Power, Dr. Westman draws upon economic studies that reveal that unlike other Western nations, the United States does not recognize the economic value of parenthood. Many parents are diverted from childrearing to paid employment either by choice or by necessity in welfare-to-work programs. In fact, competent parents contribute $1.4 million to our economy for each of their children who becomes a productive worker. Incompetent parents cost our economy $2.8 million for each child they damage by neglect and/or abuse.
Surveys of parents who are at home with their young children reveal that they particularly strongly feel the disparagement of parenthood. The term “working women and men” refers to people who are employed away from home and implies that homemaking is not work or is less important than paid work.
In the United States, childcare is regarded as a marketable educational function rather than as a fulfilling developmental experience for adults and children as it is in other Western nations that support parenthood through paid family leaves and other benefits. Hiring non-parents to care for children creates jobs.
Most importantly, society doesn’t formally acknowledge that child rearing is skilled, hands-on work in which parents and children bond and grow together. It automatically awards full parental rights to any genetic parent regardless of age or ability until the child is damaged by the parent’s neglect or abuse and parental rights are terminated by a court.
Nonetheless, parenthood is a lifelong career. For most parents, parenthood is just as important as a paid career if not more so. This is especially evident during a parent’s later years.
In order to stimulate discussion and action on these topics, the book's web site contains a blog devoted to forming an organization, such as a National Association of Parents, following the lead of AARP with the purpose of providing a voice for parents who are devoted to furthering their interests in our nation.
Ms. Brill concludes, "This is a book I truly feel everyone one of us could benefit from. I have made highlights and paper clipped pages all over my book just with statistics that blew my mind. I highly recommend this book. It is definitely one of those books you walk away from and say WOW! We need to make some changes in our society."
Margie Brill
My Springfield Mommy
http://www.myspringfieldmommy.com/
Jack Westman, Westman Enterprises, http://www.americasparentpower.com, +1 608-238-0858, [email protected]
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