The economic and cultural changes that have occurred in North American society in the past fifty years have resulted in todayâs children looking to their peers, instead of their parents, for direction; for a sense of right and wrong; and for values, identity and codes of behavior. This peer orientation works to undermine family cohesion. It interferes with healthy development and fosters a sexualized youth culture in which children lose their individuality and tend to become conformist, desensitized and alienated.
These conceptsâand what to do about them to develop strong families and emotionally healthy childrenâare explained in the book âHold on to Your Kids:Â Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers,â by Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D. and Gabor Mate, M.D.
Barry Vogel, Esq. is the host and producer. Ignacio Ayala is the assistant producer.
When I spoke with Dr. Gordon Neufeld from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia, we began our conversation with a discussion of the importance of developing an attachment between the adult caregiver and the child, beginning at infancy.
The book Dr. Neufeld recommends is "The Anatomy of Dependence,â  by Takeo Doi. More information about Dr. Neufeldâs work may be found on his website.
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