Virginia Beach psychologist to co-host new ABC show about parenting in America

A Virginia Beach native and clinical psychologist, Adolph Brown, will be co-hosting a new ABC show on Thursday, “The Parent Test,” which will showcase different parenting styles with the aim of finding the most effective for rearing children.

The show premieres at 10 p.m. Brown will host with actor and author Ali Wentworth.

Brown is the author of multiple books, a father of eight and a businessman with a specialty in parenting issues. He speaks before groups and at business conferences throughout the country. He has appeared on local news shows and media outlets such as “The Dr. Drew Podcast,” and was approached by showrunners gauging his interest for “The Parent Test.”

Brown has turned down other pitches but this show appealed to him.

He liked that it isn’t scripted or a competition but is a show about helping parents; he felt that it was important to lend his perspective “considering I’m from very, very humble beginnings,” he said.

Brown said he grew up in a poor neighborhood, raised by a mom who he described as being stretched thin with responsibilities. When he was 11, his oldest brother was murdered.

“I have quite a bit of insight, not just from a psychology and anthropology background, but more or less from my actual practical background on the importance of parenting and support systems,” Brown said.

“The Parent Test” is centered on 12 families.

There are helicopter parents who hover and don’t allow their children to do anything without their involvement, Brown said. There is a set he considers firm disciplinarians. There are “free range” parents who travel across the country in an RV with their children, living in parks.

“So you’ve got a bunch of parents who believe they’re doing it the best way they can, and they’re putting their styles on show for America,” Brown said.

The children in the show go through challenges such as how to interact with strangers and being unsupervised by adults.

The parents will discuss and decide which are the most effective parenting styles of the bunch.

Colin Warren-Hicks, 919-818-8139, colin.warrenhicks@virginiamedia.com