all we need is love

Last night I watched Freakonomics (spoiler alert--and yes, I know I should have read the book first), in which Steven Levitt argues that while many factors contributed to a drop in crime in the 1990s, the biggest contributing factor was Roe v. Wade. Fewer unwanted pregnancies in the 1970s led to fewer crimes in the 1990s.

Another chapter of Freakonomics explores using incentives to raise students' grades. A group of professors and students at the University of Chicago bribe (provide incentives for) 9th graders to improve their grades: $50/month if they maintain a C average and good attendance, with a shot at $500 and a limo ride. The incentives help D students become C students, but don't work for failing students. Passing rates increase by about 6%, which is lower than anticipated. The people running the study conclude they need to reach younger students--their next target population is preschoolers. Levitt asks will they be training the students or the parents? The answer is, both.

Which brings me to the first chapter: parenting. Levitt and coauther Dubner say that fancy preschools and expensive extra-curriculars don't matter. By the time a mother gives birth, she's already pretty well determined that child's future. Dubner doesn't say it exactly, but I think what he implies, if you consider the later chapters, is that what matters most in kids' lives is whether their parents want them and love them.

Reminds me of an interview with David Brooks, heard on NPR. Discussing his new book, he said that when he looked into why kids drop out of high school, he found that you could pretty accurately predict whether a preschooler would drop out of high school based on that child's relationship with his or her mother (I may be oversimplifying). Rather than inciting worry among mothers (Is my relationship with my children strong enough? How can I improve it?), and not having read either of the books I cite, I would echo Dubner in saying that if you're thinking about these questions, you're probably doing fine.

Now, most of us are aiming much higher for our children than high school graduation. But I'm not very worried about your children or my children. If we put together the various examples and arguments above, Freakonomics suggests that preventing unwanted pregnancies not only reduces crime, but similarly increases graduation rates and probably improves a long list of social measures. And educating 8th graders about birth control isn't going to solve the problem--we have to start younger, much younger. We have to start before birth (does that make any sense?). Wherever we start will not be the beginning--we're far past the beginning--but we need to try to ensure that all children are loved and all parents are loving.

My second grader, M, asked his friend, J, his greatest wish. J said, that everyone could be friends. M told J that's like asking for world peace only better, because if everyone is friends, we'll have world peace and more. Sounds pretty good.