Parentology by Dalton Conley

Parentology | Author: Dalton Conley | Rating: 10/11 | Photo Credit: Stephen P. Hudner |

Released: March 24, 2015

With the ever-changing research on parenting, and what approach truly produces the most well-rounded, well-adjusted and successful adults, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Between books claiming attachment parenting is the only way, to philosophies that advocate for sleep training, to the eternal debate on when to start solids, when to start school and when to start trying for another for that perfect age gap – there is no end to theories on what you should and should not do as a parent. And then, like a breath of fresh air for those fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants parents, comes Dalton Conley’s Parentology.

A scientist and sociologist by trade, Conley has studied (and occasionally conducted) some of the most influential research on child rearing, and as a result, offers this enlightening strategy: “…More flexibility and fluidity, attention to (often counter-intuitive, myth-busting) research, but adaptation to each child’s unique and changing circumstances.” In other words, trial and error to find what works best for you with the understanding that changes will need to be made to fit your particular child and potentially revised dependent on their stage and the situation.

Surely there will be a few exceptionally Type A parents gobsmacked by the flexibility of his approach, but far more are likely to rejoice in his endorsement for the all-powerful trifecta of love, flexibility, and engagement.

Conley’s background in the sciences is notable and the basis of his qualifications for writing Parentology (his day-to-day experience as a father of two children and all that entails) lends itself significantly to his theories. Throughout the book, Conley gives anecdotes from his own life as a father, citing his sometimes unorthodox parenting practices and how – in short – he’s yet to completely screw up his kids.

Funny, heartfelt and deeply engrossing, Parentology will appeal to parents everywhere who are still learning this parenting business as they go and who are desperately trying not to land their children in lifelong therapy.