Has parenting lost its joy? Susan Sachs Lipman thinks so, which is why she wrote a book eschewing the hecticness of carpooling and myriad extracurriculars and urging tranquility. Taking a page from the slow-food movement, which advocates leisurely meals, Lipman promotes “slow parenting” in her book Fed Up with Frenzy. She writes, “I was too busy with the future to notice the present, too busy with the calendar and the to-do list to stop and chat in the market or between activities … I began to wonder just what the rush was, and whether slowing down might help me and my family become more connected and calm.” Her ideas are simple: embrace downtime by showing an outdoor movie or deciding your child won’t melt if she doesn’t attend every birthday party she’s invited to. Can making homemade jam with your kids really soothe the soul? It worked for me — but only for a while.