RAISING GOOD CHILDREN: Helping Your Child Through the Stages of Moral Development

by Thomas Lickona ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1983

A ""moral development"" approach to childrearing based on Harvard psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg's well-known stages--from 0, ""egocentric reasoning,"" to 5, ""principled conscience"" (not on Moral Majoritarian or other New Right principles). Lickona, himself a psychologist and professor of education (SUNY, Cortland), writes that parents can either ""go with the flow"" or ""challenge"" what their children say or do. For instance, parents of children in stage 2--the ""what's in it for me"" stage--can appeal to reciprocity and listen to the child's point of view; or they can buck the tide and appeal ""to love instead of to fairness."" By stage 5, parents should talk about moral relativism and combine respect with love. The specific suggestions range from commonplace to impracticable (or ineffectual) to ill-advised. To keep communications open, talk confidentially at bedtime and hold dinner-table discussions about moral dilemmas (""Dear Abby"" can be a source). If you find your kids are using drugs, ""take charge"" and ""do everything in [your] power"" to get them to stop. At one stage, parents are advised to make a rule that ""If you destroy a toy you lose all your toys for a week""; at another, to treat bed-making as a moral issue. The theoretical framework may have some merit (many professionals, however, question it); but it doesn't adapt particularly well to parental guidance.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Bantam

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1983

Categories: NONFICTION