All Joy and No Fun
It wasn’t that they weren’t concerned about their kids, but they wanted something back, they wanted a return on their investment—this need was almost religious. It was exhausting to listen to and it was all so corrupt because it wasn’t making for happier children. What happened to just wanting your kids to be content and cool? What happened to tell
... See moreBret Easton Ellis • Lunar Park (Vintage Contemporaries)
Raising children has come to look more and more like a business endeavor and less and less like an endeavor of the heart. We are overly concerned with “the bottom line,” with how our children “do” rather than with who our children “are.” We pour time, attention, and money into insuring their performance, consistently making it to their soccer game ... See more
Madeline Levine • The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids
own self-worth to continuous obsession with the children’s wellbeing as a means to earn approval and be “a good mother,” which in turn leads her to mature herself in some key areas, though not all. She may pressure her detached husband to change his behaviors and “become a better father,” but because he does not experience the emotional urgency in
... See moreAdam Smith • Exhausted Wives, Bewildered Husbands: Why your marriage is hurting, and how to blossom as a couple
Parents have long been sold a model of childrearing that simply doesn’t work. From reward charts to time outs, many popular parenting approaches are based on shaping behavior, not raising humans. These techniques don’t build the skills kids need for life, or account for their complex emotional needs. Add to that parents’ complicated relationships w... See more