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Because I Said So

Why Society Is Childist and How Breaking the Cycle of Discrimination Towards Children Can Change the World

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Because I Said So

By: Sarah Ockwell-Smith
Narrated by: Sarah Ockwell-Smith
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About this listen

Society is making great strides in increasing awareness of oppression and injustice, but one group remains mistreated: children.

Commonly recommended parenting and discipline methods treat children in ways that would cause uproar if adults were treated similarly. Children's needs and feelings are frequently dismissed and ignored by adults. Children are taught to blindly obey adults in the name of 'respect', although respect is so rarely shown to them.

We are a society that is afraid of treating children kindly, as evidenced by the almost constant uproar and ridicule of the 'gentle parenting' movement.

In this timely book, bestselling author and parenting expert Sarah Ockwell-Smith blends childcare history, sociology, psychology and current affairs to raise awareness of childism - the unconscious discrimination of children in our world - and why it impacts everybody.

Essential for parents, carers, teachers and anybody who works with children, Because I Said So! is both a thought-provoking guide and an urgent call to action. It will help you to understand your own upbringing and how this has shaped your beliefs and behaviour; prompt you to consider the prevalence of childism in society today, so that you can change the way you look after the children in your care or reinforce the approach you are already taking; and consider how we can transform the way our society treats children to create positive, lasting change for generations to come.

Childism is an issue that has been ignored and avoided for far too long. If we want to change the world for the better, we must start with treating our children better.

©2023 Sarah Ockwell-Smith (P)2023 Hachette Audio UK
Child Psychology Parenting & Families Relationships
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Critic reviews

'A provocative new book which challenges every aspect of modern parenting' Daily Mail

'A vital read, not just for parents but anyone who values the next generation' Psychologies

What listeners say about Because I Said So

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Fantastic life changing book!

Definitely a must read! Thanks Sarah for being brave enough to lead the way. Elly C

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Excellent listen

I was waiting for this audiobook to come out for months and it didn’t disappoint. It it well structured, easy to understand and action in practice and very hopeful.

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Poses questions you may never have thought to ask yourself.

Fantastic book that everyone should read. Sets out the facts, invites self reflection, uses real life examples to help put the view point in context. I am recommending this book to everyone I know.

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The best parenting / human-ing book I’ve read

I’ve been a fan of Sarah Ockwell-Smith since before my kid was born 5 years ago. This book is really amazing and I know will be one I re read and recommend.
I think it’s an important book not only for parents and teachers but for anyone who interacts with other humans!

At times, it is not an easy listen as I dug deep and examined my life - past, present and future. But Sarah manages to balance that uncomfortableness with deep compassion and understanding.

This is a powerful manifesto of the world I wish my daughter to live in.

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Loved it!

A powerful piece of writing. Passionate, empathetic and inspiring reading by the author. If you are at all unsure, please listen to this book!

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Such an important book

Such powerful ideas and concepts which could have profound effects on society and humanity, if only everyone would do the work needed on themselves and to support parents and children. The whole book is based on sound, evidence based research and common sense, presented in a really easy to listen to way. Thank you Sarah for your work, I learnt so much from this book and can already see what a difference being kind and respectful to my son from day one is making compared to his peers. He is not afraid to hold boundaries for himself, talk about his feelings or show vulnerability. He doesn’t follow the crowd and helps and protects younger kids at school. We’d have never achieved this without your previous books. The bit about the blizzard at the end 🤩🤩

Thank you 🙏

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She makes children human in this book

A peculiar statement but this book makes you realise that children’s rights are not treated equally to human rights.

If you believe in equality and justice then this book is a must read!

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Important book!

This is such an important book which clearly sets out our childist society and ways to change.

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thought provoking

Everyone who listens will get something from this book. We have all been a child so have all been effected by the issues Sarah raises in this book.

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Grateful this is in the mainstream

I'm grateful to Sarah Ockwell Smith

Such an important perception change that is needed. I read some amazing books on this topic which changed my parenting when my daughter was tiny. I was very lucky to have stumbled upon them. This information is vital and now Sarah has brought this to the mainstream in a very concise, simple and accessible way. Obviously it's a controversial subject and a painful forced look at our own childhood. Some will be angered and refuse to look at how children are treated in fear of their own stuff coming up, it's easier to just repeat the horrendous parenting. But for those that don't want to pass it on, this book is an amazing starting point.

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