A sanity-saving book to help parents banish ‘pester power’ from their homes!

Adproofing Your Kids is a hands-on, practical book that offers parents the tools to alleviate the ‘pestering’ behaviour encouraged by marketers and advertisers. It also guides parents in helping their children think critically about the media messages that surround them on a daily basis.

Parents themselves, Daniel Donahoo and Tania Andrusiak began researching this book with their own concerns about the effects of media and marketing on young children today – and soon found that these were shared by families all over. The problems seem to arise from two clear facts: young children today spend more time immersed in electronic media and are subjected to more targeted marketing than any generation before them.

Some of the main issues parents shared were:

‘My kids want to spend hours in front of the TV. How do I teach them to manage their viewing?’

‘Supermarkets push cereals, poppers, chips and chocolate to our kids and I’ve stopped taking them with me because of the pestering! How do other parents cope?’

‘Sexualised images are everywhere! What are my kids learning from them, and how can I help them to question these messages?’

Parents also indicated they were highly concerned about their children’s exposure to:

• advertising,
• inappropriate sexual messages,
• violent acts shown as acceptable responses,
• images of unattainable body shapes, and
• the effects of new technologies (particularly the Internet).

In response to such concerns, this book contains tried-and true solutions (suitable for children aged from 2 to 12) gleaned from hundreds of parents, educators and psychologists to counter the blatant and hidden manipulation of children by advertisers and popular media.

‘Parents need as much help as possible to deal with the manipulative and exploitative practice of advertising and marketing to children. Protecting our kids is extremely tough when corporations are in the business of employing neuroscientists to discover the best ways to target a child's unconscious mind. Adproofing Your Kids gives parents timely and important guidance and loads of great practical advice. For anyone who cares about kids, it's a must read.’ Julie Gale, Director Kids Free 2B Kids

‘… It is only through books like this one … are we going to be able to … support our children to be critical consumers and active resistors of the massive diet of consumerism served up to them everyday. The sooner this book is available to parents the better. But beware, don't let the advertisers buy it!’ Professor Karen Malone, Regional Director UNESCO Growing Up Cities Asia-Pacific; Chair, Asia-Pacific Child Friendly Cities Regional Network

‘At last, a readable book to support parents in the most difficult job in the world: parenting the media.’ Elizabeth Handsley, Professor of Law; Vice-President, Australian Council on Children and the Media

About the Authors Tania Andrusiak has previously worked in advertising and as a journalist, while Daniel Donahoo is author of Idolising Children and a commentator on child and family policy. They live in Victoria and have two contentious little consumers of their own. You can visit them online at www.adproofing.com.

Specifications

Publication SEPTEMBER 2009
RRP $26.95
Trade Paperback 224pp
ISBN 9781876451875