It's OK to Go Up the Slide

December 21, 2015
Journalist Shumaker takes up where she left off with It’s OK Not to Share, this time addressing “tricky topics” relating to school-age kids. Shumaker advocates taking a close look at the expectations attached to such practices as kindergarten (it’s not mandatory under U.S. law), recess (it should never be used as punishment), and homework, urging parents to bend (and possibly break) the rules according to what works best for their particular family. Shumaker, for instance, has banned homework for her two elementary-aged sons, based on research showing it doesn’t benefit children. She also weighs in on parents “signing off” on school papers, asserting that this practice degrades trust and places parents in the role of cop. Should teachers prove resistant to her suggestions, she suggests modeling “respectful disagreement” and provides a collection of sample letters and scripts parents can use. Interspersing her own experiences with advice from experts, Shumaker also presents a convincing case for letting kids take reasonable risks in order to build confidence and independence. Though “going up the slide” (i.e., bucking the system) may be more difficult in some school districts than others, Shumaker does a thorough job of arming parents with the facts they’ll need to begin their ascent. Agent: Joëlle Delbourgo, Joëlle Delbourgo Associates.

March 1, 2016
Shumaker (It's OK Not to Share, 2012) is known for parenting advice that goes against typical expectations, but for good reason. Her latest presents a series of 21 renegade rules for parents, covering a variety of topics, including risk-taking, screen time, homework, and coping with tragedies. Though the focus is on children in the K5 range, parents and caregivers of both older and younger children will find useful guidance. Shumaker is a staunch defender of children's leisure time and advocates for recess and for an end to homework in both primary and middle schoolstances that she backs up with peer-reviewed research from reputable sourcesand many of her rules touch on the importance of self-directed creative play. An appendix includes sample letters to use with teachers and school principals to begin conversations about elementary-level homework and recess. Some of Shumaker's ideas are simple common sense, and she can be repetitive, especially in discussions of topics she's particularly passionate about. However, her approach is practical, and she provides a wealth of resources for parents interested in making these rules part of their parenting strategy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)