Too Much of a Good Thing
By Dan Kindlon
Raising Children of Character in an Indulgent Age. Hyperion, 2001.
Summary of Too Much of a Good Thing book by Dan Kindlon
Anecdotes and advice for parents who spoil their children, illustrating the pitfalls that come with indulging bad behavior, and offering alternatives that foster emotional maturity.
Chapters in Too Much of a Good Thing book summary
What do you get from this book? Parental advice for raising children into well-adjusted adults
Boomer parents are great at bonding with their kids, but in exchange, overindulge them
The less strict parents are, the more problems their children end up having
A lot of Baby Boomers grew up in luxury, and their children wanted for nothing
When children learn self-efficacy, most grow up to be happy, confident, and able to handle stress
Self-centeredness is the result of protective parents trying to keep their kids from being hurt
Often when kids bottle up their anger, it ends up manifesting as depression
When kids are too driven, they hold themselves to impossible standards that even adults could not possibly sustain
Students who lack motivation almost always have strident parents who criticize their work
Indulging children’s poor eating habits makes it more likely they’ll develop anorexia, bulimia, or obesity as an adult
Self-control is vital to staving off addiction and accomplishing your goals
Being spoiled makes it harder to find happiness, yet parents still have a difficult time saying “no”
We all have “good” and “bad” inner parents that drive our behavior toward our own children
By creating rules and sticking with them, we can help our kids grow into responsible adults
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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Too Much of a Good Thing — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Too Much of a Good Thing book
- grandparents
- psychologists
- the Baby Boomer generation
About the author of Too Much of a Good Thing
Dan Kindlon
Dan Kindlon is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and lecturer specializing in children and adolescents. He is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the Department of Maternal and Child Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. His studies have appeared in numerous medical journals, and his self-help book, Raising Cain, was a New York Times bestseller.
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