Michael Thompson, Ph.D.

John Dickerson, Political Correspondent for Slate.com, mentions Homesick and Happy in his article “Summer Camp: where kids grow up on their own and parents back home stay the same.” An excerpt:

The best moments of childhood—the memories that stay with you into adulthood—are ones where your parents aren’t there. They are moments you experienced truly for yourself. In Homesick and Happy, Michael Thompson writes about a study where people were asked about their happiest childhood memory; more than 80 percent name a parent-free moment. Thompson explains that kids are better off when they accomplish something without having to think about how their parents would view it. Those memories are also more indelible. The self-confidence that comes from that accomplishment sticks better because it is completely earned.

Read the article in full at slate.com