Would you believe they have charged some intern to walk him across the parking lot?! Geesh people. He’s TEN!
Browsing: Infantilizing young folk
Hi Readers! We’ll return to our regularly scheduled rants — and deep thoughts — in the next post. But first,…
Summer beckons, with its eternal promise of freedom. Unless you are Harry Wilder. Harry is a 19-year-old British student who…
In the 1940s, women were working in factories, doing all the jobs men did — and earning their own keep. After the war, they were suddenly told: What on earth are you doing here? The outside world is too dangerous for you, you sweet, silly creatures! We’re only saying this for your own good. You can’t make it out here. Go home!
Which sounds remarkably like what we are telling kids today. Kids who, just a generation ago, were perfectly capable of making their way in the outside world — babysitting, playing in the park, walking to school — are now being told: What on earth are you doing our here? The world is too dangerous for you, you sweet, silly creatures! We’re only saying this for your own good. Go home! (Or, alternatively, “Go to soccer practice, which we will drive you to and pick you up from.”)
With Mother’s Day upon us like a breakfast tray of hot coffee accidentally spilled on the blanket (amid tears),…
My 10-year-old son wanted the chance to walk from our house to soccer practice behind an elementary school about 1/3 mile from our house. He had walked in our neighborhood a number of times with the family and we have driven the route to practice who knows how many times. It was broad daylight – 5:00 pm. I had to be at the field myself 15 minutes after practice started, so I gave him my cell phone and told him I would be there to check that he made it and sent him off. He got 3 blocks and a police car intercepted him.
Turns out children are feeling pretty good about themselves lately. Maybe a little too good. As reported on the website…
Why do we treat our tweens like toddlers? Because the rules say we have to. The other day my son…