Easy ways to make money for kids

Elaine St James does not have children of her own, but she has co-written this book with Vera Coles-mother of three. Despite Coles’ parent perspective, much of the writing seems out-of-touch with the daily lives of most parents. But much more frightening, the authors have not done their child development homework, and many of their suggestions could be harmful to children.

St James begins with a description of your typical harried day, which includes having to “rescue your two-year-old from the baby-sitter.” Any mother whose typical day includes “rescuing” her two-year-old from child care needs more than to simplify her life. She needs to drop everything and find some better child care! But St James, with no experience in trying to find adequate and affordable child care, doesn’t appreciate the magnitude of this problem, and is simply trying to be funny. (Also, most child-care professionals resent being called “babysitters,” a term she uses throughout the book, because it does not reflect the care and education caregivers work hard to provide.)

On page 7, St. James attempts to deal with the universal problem of separating from your child. As she does repeatedly, St. James approaches this problem with only the parents’ needs in mind. Her focus is on streamlining the adult’s morning routine, without any mention of the child’s needs. She suggests that you (mommy) let daddy take the child during the first few weeks because the child is probably more used to saying good-bye to daddy. The stereotypes in this statement annoyed me, but worse than annoying was her suggestion that you enlist “another adult” to take the child. Separation from parents is one of the most difficult problems children face in child care. It is a process that takes time, and one in which children need support from their most trusted adults. Making your child start a new care situation without you present is cruel.

St. James neglects to consider the child’s point of view again a few pages later. At the end of a section discussing chores and having children help, she says, “As they get older and become more competent in the kitchen, you can leave the cleanup entirely to the kids and begin your own evening activities.” I prefer a family in which everyone helps out, so that everyone can then enjoy activities together.

Later, St. James talks about using logical consequences to persuade children to do things like brush teeth. Logical consequences are an excellent way to guide children’s behavior, when they are used appropriately and in the right circumstances. However, St. James suggests telling a child he won’t get a bedtime story if he doesn’t brush his teeth. Bedtime stories are extremely beneficial to young children. Taking them away is not a logical consequence of failing to brush teeth; it is simply piling one injury on top of another.

Most of St. James’ suggestions worried me, so I welcomed the one that made me laugh. She suggests that you keep your pantry stocked with staples so that you can put meals together quickly without having to run to the store. But some of the staples she suggests-canned tomatoes, olives, olive oil, and spices-wouldn’t go over well with my children! Again, she seems to be catering to adult tastes while ignoring those of the children.

Simplifying and striving for a less harried life are good goals that are likely to benefit both parents and children. If you are searching for advice on how to accomplish these goals, avoid Simplify Your Life with Kids, or you may end up doing more harm than good.