Senior’s take on modern parenthood is refreshing as she talks about what it means to be a parent today. The book is meant to answer the common question for new mothers “Is this not as much fun as I thought it would be?”
The answer to this question throughout the book, of course, is “Yes.” Senior has a way of alleviating some of the guilt associated with not finding constant joy in parenting which is crucial for new moms.
In All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood, Senior talks with families that are ordinary in the American context. She follows them to typical events such as soccer practices, parent-teaching meetings, and family dinners.
Through her various interviews, Senior highlights lessons in psychology and sociology that have been used in parenting for the past 50 years. She backs up the claim that children don’t have a lot of economic value, but the emotional value they bring is enough for the parents.
She argues that every task parents face today with what to do for their children comes from crafted roles within society. Schools teach math and science, pediatricians provide care for sickness and injury, and Old Navy takes care of dresses and trousers.
No matter which approaches the parents to decide to take and the role they put themselves in, Senior explains that parents today do what’s best for the child and no longer what’s best for the family or the broader world like families used to raise children in the past.
This book is a great one for text passages that make you say “Yes!” This former New York Times staff writer perfectly describes what it’s like to be a mom when the expectation of mothers is rising, and attitudes towards women in the workplace are liberalizing.
