When Fear Goes Viral: Panic should never replace instinct
In my last post, I answered a question from a reader who wanted to know how we could, as parents, quit being an overprotective helicopter parent (which I espouse! Land that ‘copter, please!), but still keep our kids safe from ever-present danger. My answer was that danger may be ever-present, but not the kind of danger we’re all so afraid of. Life, as in being human, is and always has been dangerous. You could get eaten by a saber toothed tiger, right? Or slip in the bathtub. But there’s close to zero chance that your child is going to be …Keep Reading
Ask the Mean Mom: You Asked, I’m Answering
Questions and answers. Who doesn’t love ‘em? Just the other day, when the four of us were driving home from a family event, our boys slipped into fierce, rapid-fire question mode. My husband found it exhausting (though certainly better than breaking up fights!), but I like it, even when it’s tiring: I like answering their questions. Or anyone’s questions, really. (Speaking of which, if you have a moment, read this Q&A I did with my friend Meagan Francis on her wonderful blog, The Happiest Mom. I love that we can find the large overlap between Happy Mom and Mean Mom). …Keep Reading
Do You Know Who’s Breaking Up With Your Kids? (Please Tell Me You Don’t. Please.)
I keep reading this stuff, and I keep wondering if (a) it’s all a parody, a great, online reach for irony that either falls short or I just don’t get (but usually I’m pretty good at irony); or (b) if people are making up this stuff so that I have something to write about here. What I am talking about is the compounding evidence of the persistence — the deeply creepy persistence — of out-of-control helicopter parenting. The latest is a story by writer Jennifer Coburn, on Salon, about how she was floored and upset by a romantic …Keep Reading
What Would the Easter Bunny Say? Helicopter Parents Ruin Colorado Easter Egg Hunt
I’m laughing over this story, which I read yesterday in the Toronto Star online, about the cancellation of the annual Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and held in Colorado Springs, thanks to past instances of overzealous parents hopping (ha!) the rope lines to “help” their children get the most eggs. That’s not funny, obviously. I’m laughing because if I didn’t, I’d cry. I’d cry because I could just imagine it: A small clutch of parents who arrived early in order to be first at the entrance, pressing their kids against the barriers, whispering in their …Keep Reading
