Table of Contents

Introduction 1
1 An Alternate Reality 21
2 What Parents Really Do 57
3 Teaching Old Parents New Tricks 85
4 Why Parents Can't Build Skills on Their Own 111
5 Skill Development and Racial Inequality 133
6 Getting More by Asking for Less 165
7 Why We Don't Invest in Skill Development 189
Appendix 215
Acknowledgments 225
Notes 227
Index 287

About the Author

Nate G. Hilger is an economist and data scientist in Silicon Valley. His work on the origins of success in children has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other media outlets. He has published articles in the Quarterly Journal of Economics and other leading academic journals.

Reviews

"The Parent Trap is a provocative, well-written, and creative analysis of the problem of parenting in America and what to do about it, making a bold case for policy changes to support parents and children in new ways."
--James J. Heckman, Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor in Economics and the College, University of Chicago; recipient of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Economics "Hilger expertly weaves together cutting-edge science and historical narratives to give us a fresh perspective on how we can help parents raise children and combat growing inequality across generations. Captivating, rigorous, and insightful, this book will be valuable for everyone from parents to policy makers."
--Raj Chetty, William A. Ackman Professor of Economics, Harvard University "Few books open your mind to a new way of seeing an issue. This book is the rare exception. The right role for parents, according to Hilger, is not to provide children the skills they need to succeed but to band together to advocate for new and better policies in the public domain. This impassioned and highly readable book lays out an ambitious policy agenda supported by a fresh way of seeing deep inequalities by race and class."
--Isabel Sawhill, Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution; author of The Forgotten Americans and Generation Unbound "DON'T READ THIS BOOK--unless you want assumptions on the origins of inequality replaced with facts. Nate Hilger brilliantly weaves together the very best social science research on youth outcomes and parenting to highlight our successes but also how our society can do much better if we dare."
--Bruce Sacerdote, Richard S. Braddock 1963 Professor in Economics, Dartmouth College "Surely among the most important books of the year. This groundbreaking and clearly written book offers concrete solutions for one of the biggest problems facing contemporary society: the unreasonable expectations we place on parents. A must-read for scholars, policy makers, activists, and, yes, parents."
--Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, New York Times bestselling author of Everybody Lies "Hilger makes a compelling argument for federal investment in child-rearing."--Library Journal