“Soon to be a much-loved lifetime companion.” That’s the pitch I just got for a new “spunky, lovable” doll that is being marketed to parents of kids with wiggly teeth. It reminds me of that great blog post by Bunmi Laditan, “I’m Done with Making My Kid’s Childhood Magical.” One of the burdens we put on ourselves is the idea that every part of childhood is so special it must be remarked upon, documented (of course!), gilded for the kid, and cherished forever by the parent. It’s great to cherish childhood, but I’m talking about commodifying it, and…
Author: lskenazy
If I wrote another book (no plans!) I might call it “Obsessive-Compulsive Nation.” Because in our desire to keep everyone safe from every possible danger, we are like OCD sufferers, who, according to Psychology Today: …resort to repetitive behaviors called compulsions. The most common of these are checking and washing…. These behaviors generally are intended to ward off harm… Some people with OCD have regimented rituals: Performing things the same way each time may give the person with OCD some relief from anxiety, but it is only temporary. Here’s Exhibit A of how we are demanding OCD instead of common…
Marketing guru Seth Godin has a great back-to-school column up, in which he notes: Here’s how we’ve organized traditional schooling: You’re certain to have these classes tomorrow. The class will certainly follow the syllabus. There will certainly be a test. If you do well on the test, you will certainly go on to the next year. If you do will on the other test, you’ll certainly get to go to a famous college. Etc., etc. Except, he goes on to say, in a topsy-turvy economy (and perhaps throughout time), it doesn’t really work that way. Curve balls come at us.…
Here is a slightly edited excerpt from “Mamaleh Knows Best: What Jewish Mothers Do to Raise Successful, Creative, Empathetic, Independent Children,” by my friend, the humorist Marjorie Ingall. Her book blends anecdotes, history, and scientific research to show that, contrary to the stereotype of the overprotective Jewish mom, “Jewish mothers have actually historically nurtured their kids independence. In addition, they’ve urged a healthy distrust of authority as well as sense of humor.” MAMALEH KNOWS BEST, BY MARJORIE INGALL . I won’t deny that life — particularly city life — can be scary. The first time we dropped nine-year-old Josie off…
Pitchforks are so 19th century. Today’s righteous mobs wield cell phone videos and Facebook likes. Here’s the video of a baby whose mom did not drag him into the gas station for a short errand, causing some modern day “hero” to whip out his cell phone, start videotaping, and swear about what a horrible mother this “bitch” is. When she returns, he curses her to her face. And since he made sure to videotape the mom’s license plate, now she is being investigated by the authorities. And of course his video, which he posted on Facebook, has gone viral (2.5…
The remains of Jacob Wetterling have been found in Minnesota. Jacob was abducted in 1989 at age 11 in a case that scared, scarred and deeply saddened people around the globe. As his mother Patty texted to the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Saturday: “Our hearts are broken. We have no words.” The Star-Tribune explained that: Jacob was snatched off his bike, half a mile from his home, by a masked man with a gun on a dark October night. Danny Heinrich, a suspect first questioned shortly after Jacob’s disappearance and now in federal custody on child pornography charges, gave investigators…
“A Fargo mom is telling local parents to watch out after an incident at a local grocery store,” intones the anchor. The incident? (And remember my warning about the word incident: Every time you hear it, it means that NOTHING HAPPENED. Otherwise it would be a “crime” or “mauling” or “deadly spider attack.” Incident = excuse to warn about something, period.) Anyway, the “incident” in question was a grocery trip during which the mom got the feeling that maybe she and her daughter were being stalked because…another couple kept ending up in the same aisle as them. As she told…
Throughout most of history and to this day in some of the world, children learned the great lessons they needed to know — survival, stories, how to gut a goat — without going to school. Often they weren’t even “taught.” The assumption was that kids were naturally curious and would learn by watching, imitating, trying, and being expected to help out. In this piece in the Wall Street Journal, Alison Gopnik wonders how come we have such a dim view of our kids that we assume they are less curious and competent than any earlier generation. It begins with Gopnik,…
In this clip, Dr. Oz interviews a 5-year-old who saved the life of her mom and baby brother, then explains that this girl was empowered by her parents’ lesson: If you ever need help, find a STRANGER. Great advice. The girl climbed out of the car that had tumbled 40-feet down an embankment and knocked her mom unconscious. (Here’s the mom talking about the accident.) Then the little girl flagged down help. (Feel free to compare and contrast with the Utah Boy Scout taught never to talk to strangers who ended up stranded in the woods for three days because…
Our Moral Judgement Influences How Dangerous We Believe The Situation Is *** America is experiencing a bizarre disconnect between real and perceived danger when it comes to kids. But why? . Why are we arresting moms for putting their kids in “danger” for doing the things our own moms did without anyone batting an eye, like letting us walk to school, or play outside, or wait at home a short while? Recall that just about a week ago a mom was arrested for letting her kids, 8 and 9, wait at the condo for under an hour while she went…