Here's another article about overparenting and helicopter parents. What I wonder is this: has the rising trend in overparenting contributed to the hostile atmosphere between childless people and parents? Or can we blame that on the Internet, the increasing numbers of childless and childfree people in the U.S. and elsewhere, and the fact that this minority group of people is finally finding its voice?
Overparenting in Time magazine here.
We are definitely finding our voice. The stoic, stand by and grit our teeth stance didn't serve us very well. It only seemed to emboldened the helicopter parent contingent or the overly indulgent parental types to allow indulged or undisciplined children to run rough-shod over anyone in their path. Time to find some common courtesy, common sense and balance once again.
Posted by: Pamela | December 01, 2009 at 09:16 AM
i hope we can do that. i sure got a new point of view on all that wehn i became a part-time stepparent a number of years back. as the girlfriend of a parent-guy, i sometimes didn't feel all that great about where he/we would take my stepdaughter. but then again, everyone *else* is bringing their children to white tablecloth restaurants and art openings, so what's another kid in the mix? (she also wasn't a public yeller/cryer/etc, and i didn't know her as an infant, so that was part of the equation.) still, it's been interesting to be on both sides of that fence.
i see separating the two groups as a possibility. like going to a cafe where dogs are allowed inside. some people don't want to be around dogs, and you can find cafes that do not allow dogs.
what if there were kid-friendly but ALSO, as no longer exists that i can find, adult-friendly cafes? or certain hours of the day when places are adult only (besides bars). how about the family airplane? screaming babies and kicking toddlers only allowed on Flight #314 every day from New York to San Francisco, instead of ALL flights. something like that...?
Posted by: magdalen - tiffany | December 04, 2009 at 12:29 PM