Monday, August 4, 2008

The Parental Guilt Hypothesis


I read an article on WorldMagBlog this evening that I just had to share.  It is depressingly true, and cuts right to the heart of many of today's parents.
So I’m considering an alternative to the we-are-so-into-our-kids-that-we-do-anything-for-them theory. I call it the Parental Guilt Hypothesis. Why does little Jimmy have baseball camp and rock-climbing lessons and his own personal tutor? Because Jimmy’s mom and dad feel, deep down, guilty for not giving him enough of themselves. Overparenting, in my theory, is frequently an outward manifestation of selfish parenting. Too many parents have grown used to comfort, and to entertainment of their own. So they work hard to pay for their ability to play hard, and as a side deal, little Jimmy gets his own computer and an Xbox and enrollment in the fanciest private school his parents can afford. (Emphasis mine)

Click here for the entire article.

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