I'm a child and parent of the 20th century and I know that I probably shouldn't comment on the children and parents of the 21st century but sometimes I just can't help it.
I'm sure that I could have been a better father, but there are some things I can't see myself doing. For example, I can't see moving the family so that my kids could attend a particular private school. Yet, that is what more and more private schools are seeing. Today's Wall Street Journal features the O'Gormans who moved from California so that their two daughters could attend Winsor School in Boston.
The O'Gormans are not wealthy. They could not afford to move their furniture. The parents took the profit they made on selling their house in California and used it for the Winsor tuition. The father quit his job without having a job in Boston; as a result he was out of work for three months. Yet, they were willing to make these sacrifices for their kids. It's something I could not do.
I know that parents often sacrifice for their kids, but this phenomenon is ridiculous. Yes, schools can dramatically change lives. However, for most people, any one of a hundred schools could give a student a life-changing experience. There is seldom a need to uproot your family in the belief that you've found the perfect school for your child. It seems to me that 21st century parents are trying to create a perfect world for what they probably perceive are their perfect kids. That is a fantasy.
1 comment:
I just read an article in the New Yorker about how praising our children for their intelligence actually makes them lazy. I wonder if telling them that they are the center of our universe doesn't also cause them harm.
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