Over-parenting our youth.. an ethical injustice to our kiddos

The insanity crept up on us slowly; we just wanted what was best for our kids. We bought macrobiotic cupcakes and hypoallergenic socks, hired tutors to correct a 5-year-old's "pencil-holding deficiency," hooked up broadband connections in the treehouse but took down the swing set after the second skinned knee. We hovered over every school, playground and practice field — "helicopter parents," teachers christened us, a phenomenon that spread to parents of all ages, races and regions. Stores began marketing stove-knob covers and "Kinderkords" (also known as leashes; they allow "three full feet of freedom for both you and your child") and Baby Kneepads (as if babies don't come prepadded). The mayor of a Connecticut town agreed to chop down three hickory trees on one block after a woman worried that a stray nut might drop into her new swimming pool, where her nut-allergic grandson occasionally swam. A Texas school required parents wanting to help with the second-grade holiday party to have a background check first. Schools auctioned off the right to cut the carpool line and drop a child directly in front of the building — a spot that in other settings is known as handicapped parking.



We were so obsessed with our kids' success that parenting turned into a form of product development. Parents demanded that nursery schools offer Mandarin, since it's never too soon to prepare for the competition of a global economy. High school teachers received irate text messages from parents protesting an exam grade before class was even over; college deans described freshmen as "crispies," who arrived at college already burned out, and "teacups," who seemed ready to break at the tiniest stress. (See pictures of the college dorm's evolution.)
This is what parenting had come to look like at the dawn of the 21st century — just one more extravagance, the Bubble Wrap waiting to burst.
All great rebellions are born of private acts of civil disobedience that inspire rebel bands to plot together. And so there is now a new revolution under way, one aimed at rolling back the almost comical overprotectiveness and overinvestment of moms and dads. The insurgency goes by many names — slow parenting, simplicity parenting, free-range parenting — but the message is the same: Less is more; hovering is dangerous; failure is fruitful. You really want your children to succeed? Learn when to leave them alone. When you lighten up, they'll fly higher. We're often the ones who hold them down.

My wife hovers over our son like a preditor drone at a Pakistani wedding, I on the other hand am more laissez fair, I am so lazy the boy thinks I am fair.

Last time I saw him he was in a life and death struggle with our doberman.

I am betting on the boy, because I love him.

The article is just another reason to remain child-free. Who needs a bunch of do-gooders telling you how to raise your own kids?

I was thinking about something....a real racist, one who is a real racist must hates the fact that their country is being run by a black man.

What I find ironic is that whenever this subject comes up pretty much all the responses are about how helicopter parents are bad, but if anyone ever suggests lowering the age we call people adults or using some form of testing to decide when 1 should be considered an adult no 1 seems in favor of it. It feels to me like we live in a helicopter society.

Yes, and there is a significant portion of the population who wants more nannying from the government. Go figure.

I was thinking about something....a real racist, one who is a real racist must hates the fact that their country is being run by a black man.

What I find ironic is that whenever this subject comes up pretty much all the responses are about how helicopter parents are bad, but if anyone ever suggests lowering the age we call people adults or using some form of testing to decide when 1 should be considered an adult no 1 seems in favor of it. It feels to me like we live in a helicopter society.