Idolising Children Book

Acknowledgments     7
Preface     9
Introduction: Child idolising     15
Childhood histories: Images, ideas and myths     25
The Peter Pan syndrome: Struggling to grow up     47
In decline: Birth rates and fertility decisions     67
Childcare: Parents, centres and community     92
The community as classroom: Educating children to learn     118
Media and children: Improving a poor relationship     141
Marketing children: Pre-teen supermodels and brand imprinting     161
Keeping children safe: Walking to school in a society of strangers     180
The imperfect child: The hypocrisy of our obsession     196
When I'm 64: Neglecting the wisdom of age     217
Conclusion: Honouring, not idolising?     235
Notes     246
Bibliography     251
Index     255