The Bonsai Child

Modern parenting is in crisis. Parents put more time and effort into raising their children than ever before, but children's self-esteem, resilience and wellbeing don't appear to be improving.

In her work as a clinical psychologist and researcher, Judith Locke, PhD sees a disturbing link between high-effort parenting and poor outcomes for children. She believes parents make their children's lives too easy by doing too much for them and giving too much to them. This type of parenting produces 'the bonsai child', an apparently perfect child raised in a protected environment and nurtured on attention to their every need.

Dependent on constant care, the bonsai child can remain confined by their ideal conditions, incapable of coping in the real world. In The Bonsai Child, Judith explains why the current generation of parents and children are in this mess, why parents are encouraged to parent this way, and what often happens to their children. Most importantly, she offers practical and realistic strategies that have worked for hundreds of parents she has helped.

These strategies will work for you, too. The Bonsai Child will change the way you think about parenting. This book will show you the best way to be a good parent for your child. It will teach you how to encourage your child's confidence and resilience. It is an essential resource for parents and anyone working with families or children today.

About the Author

Judith Locke (PhD, MPsychol (Clin), BA (Hons), M Fine Arts, B Educ, MAPS) is a clinical psychologist and former teacher who specialises in parenting and child wellbeing. She is the director of her private practice, and her training company Confident and Capable. As a clinician, she provides psychological counselling to children, adolescents, parents, and families. As a trainer, she provides dynamic psychological training sessions in parenting, resilience, staff wellbeing and related fields to parents and staff in schools, childcare centres, and government and community organizations, as well as private companies. Judith is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Queensland University of Technology where she researches modern parenting, child and parent wellbeing, and how children and parents interact with academic environments.

The Bonsai Child is Judith’s first book. She is currently working on her second, The Bonsai Student.