No Book Will Fix What's Wrong With American Parenting

Ruth Franklin:

The other day, a friend and I were walking down a crowded sidewalk when we noticed a little boy of about three. We noticed him not because he was adorable (though he was), but because he was hitting his father with a giant stick. As they passed us--the boy hitting, the father ignoring--the boy's flailing stick hit my companion. Only the boy's mother, running after them, seemed to notice. "Sorry," she flung out breathlessly, smiling.

We were, of course, in Brooklyn, the epicenter of permissive parenting. A look at the landscape is enough to demonstrate that our children are running our lives--the "progressive preschools" that brighten the storefronts every few blocks, the new paint-your-own-pottery shop and "origami studio," the never-ending parade of burger joints. In the latest viral video, "Sh*t Park Slope Parents Say," a pair of insufferable hipster parents and their friends trade barbs of condescension. The only time these people are speechless is when they're trying to make plans for a date night out.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 2, 2012 2:29 AM
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