St James Reads: The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

“I am so excited to connect with parents through different parent education opportunities at St. James. As a mother of four, I know just how difficult and isolating parenting can feel. Kicking off the school year with The Anxious Generation Book Club feels like an opportunity to have more “touch points” with parents and offer one another insight and affirmation when it comes to one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs in the world.”

The book sparked lively and meaningful conversations around the rise of phone-based childhood, the decline in play, and the growing rates of anxiety in children. We recently had our first book club conversation on Part 1. It was a lively discussion that brought together parents from across grade levels- from preschool families to parents of St. James graduates now in high school-to share insights and reflect on how these ideas show up in our own homes and classrooms.

“The first Book Club meeting was a huge success! Parents of children of all ages attended and much was gained from sharing insights and processing Part 1 of The Anxious Generation. One large takeaway was: this is going to be so much easier if we are all in it together. The collective action and knowledge of St. James is a big part of Book Club, and echoes the actionable pieces in our book. I am already looking forward to our next meeting where we will dig into Part 2, specifically the benefits of play, the dangers of safetyism, and generational shifts in parenting. The best part of Book Club is learning from one another and feeling the blessings of our St. James community!”
— Dr. Hannah Meineke, St. James School Counselor & Spanish Teacher

“I really valued hearing other parents' concerns and challenges, especially those with older kids. It was validating to hear that we held the same anxieties and comforting to know we shared the same motivations and hopes for our kids.”
— St. James Preschool Parent

This kind of partnership is at the heart of who we are. And these conversations are already shaping our practice.

At St. James, our developmentally appropriate technology model reflects our belief that children thrive when they are given time and space to grow, explore, and connect in real life:

• Preschool–Kindergarten: No technology, with very limited use of iPads or streaming.
  
  
• Grades 1–2: Shared classroom laptops and interactive smartboards.
  
  
• Grades 3–8: 1:1 Chromebooks to support learning with care and structure.
  
  

This initiative reflects our commitment to thoughtful, research-informed conversations around how technology impacts the development and well-being of our students. Together, we're building a community that not only prepares students academically, but helps them grow up whole- curious, grounded, and ready for whatever comes next.

The next Parent Book Club session will take place on October 21st at 7pm in the School building. Email jcampbell@stjames-lutheran.org if you’re interested in joining!