The Idler

Idle Parent Front Page

Alain De Botton has called The Idle Parent the “most helpful and consoling child-raising manual I’ve yet read”, and the Sunday Times called it a “godsend to parents”. In the book, Tom Hodgkinson argues that kids and adults alike need to play more and work less. We put far too much effort into parenting. If we leave our kids alone, they will become more self-reliant and we’ll be able to lie in bed for longer.

Oliver James said: “Wise, funny, practical and personal, The Idle Parent puts the fun back into parenting,” while Jay Griffiths commented: “The sort of book which any self-respecting child would wish their parents had read. Gently comedic on the surface, it is a book about serious freedom underneath. Profoundly sane, kind and endearing, it is written with a huge generosity of spirit as an act of family-liberation.”

On this website we hope to gather together useful information and brain food for idle parents everywhere, all intended to help on the journey to liberation. Down the left hand side, you’ll find an archive of Tom’s Idle Parent columns written for the Daily Telegraph. Each has a comments section: please keep any comments brief and practical and refrain from criticising other people. Idle Parents are always courteous.

There’s a discussion forum covering the various issues that interest idle parents, from anti-consumerism, to what books to read, to tips on thrift. Again, when contributing to the forum, please avoid jokes and criticism of others, and try to keep the posts short and to the point. Longer letters can be sent by snail mail to The Idler, PO Box 280, BARNSTAPLE EX31 4QT UK, and we’ll select the best for publication.

We have also started a gallery where we’ll show images of idle parents, from George Orwell to Homer Simpson.

Plus there’s a links section which will connect the idle parent to relevant organisations.