Modern parenting is in crisis. Parents put more time and effort into raising their children than ever before, but childrens self-esteem, resilience and wellbeing dont 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 childrens 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...