This column, which I began writing in 1976, has been in syndication for 44 years, a record in the history of American newspapers. During a recent sojourn on Ocracoke Island, I decided to retire the column (but not myself) and move on to other ventures.
For the first few years of my newspaper career, I adhered to the psychology profession’s “party line.” I promoted self-esteem, discipline based on behavior modification, and a view of child development that was tinged with Freudian theory. I was, in other words, pretty much in lock-step with the mental health mainstream.
In the early ‘80s, however, a series of personal parenting events caused me to begin questioning the advice that mental health professionals were selling to parents. Over the course of the next two decades, I came slowly but surely to the conclusion that research has lately begun to validate: To wit, psychology is a bogus science that has, to date, caused more problems for children, parents, marriages, families, schools and, for all those reasons, America than it has solved. Even though evidence to that effect has been mounting for several decades now, the mental health professions cling stubbornly to their narratives.
Because I had the temerity to tell the truth about psychology and its damaging effects on American childrearing, I was drummed out of the profession. Excellent lawyers saved me from losing my license, but I became untouchable, disallowed from participation in the guild. Ironically, my untouchable status allowed me that much more freedom to spread the truth.
The fundamental truth is that nothing — not a single iota of a thing — the mental health professional mainstream has been telling parents for the past 50 years has proven to be correct or helpful. It turns out that parents of the 1950s and before, sans professional advice, did a much better job of raising emotionally sturdy, responsible citizens than parents have been doing since. Let me be clear: That is not an indictment of parents.
The 10-fold decline in child and teen mental health since parents began taking their marching orders from mental health types tells the story. High self-esteem may equate to feeling superior, but it also correlates highly with sociopathy. Seems that being scolded for acting too big for one’s britches was a good thing. The child-centered family, it turns out, is likely to turn out young people who do not deal well with the reality of being a small fish in a big pond. It is also the case that the more attention one pays children, the more likely one is to become divorced. Sometimes, the divorces in question involve people who remain legally married. Parenting according to psychological theory has been a trainwreck.
I have no intention of retiring until I am told I am no longer making sense. In the meantime, and most unfortunately, the demographic I want to reach is not suffering ink-stained fingers from reading newspapers. They are surfing the ‘net. So, to the ‘net I go, a guy who reads a newspaper first thing every morning. I am developing a site on the Substack web platform and a podcast, and there’s more adventures to come.
Thanks to all of the newspapers that have given my heresies space over the years and to my readers. I am indebted to you all. I don’t like long goodbyes, so, goodbye, God speed, and keep on rockin’ in the free world. That’s where you’ll find me, for sure.
Family psychologist John Rosemond’s new Substack can be found online at substack.com
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.