‘The Lost Age of Underparenting’

Lots of fun lines in here, whatever you think of the theme.

Let Children Get Bored Again (NYT)


Low class vulgarity presented as comedy. The crudening of our culture.


BG9 said:
Low class vulgarity presented as comedy. The crudening of our culture.

 Then Carlin became the narrator of Thomas the Tank Engine. An interesting choice.


Loved the first comment from the mom who suggested chores when the kids were bored. Instant cure!! I don’t know if I support the idea of boredom. Daydreaming has a more positive connotation, since boredom sometimes leads to trouble. In terms of the classroom, I believe there needs to be both time to digest material as well as elements of play, even for adolescents. School does not have to be “boring”.


I was raised with this style of parenting in the extreme (probably too extreme)  and I practiced a more modified form and I'm almost never bored, and my kid does not seem to be either.  Don't know if that is why, but it could be.  


I may revisit this podcast series from 2015: https://www.wnyc.org/series/bored-and-brilliant


It's a challenge series, starting with exercises to break the habit of constant stimulation by electronic devices. The idea is to see if you can carve out a little boredom time to unlock a more creative side of your brain. If you're constantly bombarding your brain with other people's ideas, maybe you're suppressing your ability to come up with your own.


Paradoxically, this essay isn’t as entertaining.

The Bad News About Helicopter Parenting: It Works (NYT)


DaveSchmidt said:
Paradoxically, this essay isn’t as entertaining.
The Bad News About Helicopter Parenting: It Works (NYT)

This talks about parents who do whatever they can to get their kids into schools and programs to help them get ahead.  Another side of helicopter parenting is intervening whenever your kid experiences some sort of set back.  


BG9 said:
Low class vulgarity presented as comedy. The crudening of our culture.

 While not his best bit (he was old), Carlin was a comedic genius.  


Rather than solve my children’s problems I seek to give them the tools and skills they need to solve them themselves.


I include boredom as one of those problems.


As long as no physical harm is coming to them it’s the best way to ensure that they’re able to manage their world and make it better when you’re not there. And eventually you will not be.


Not easy. Nobody likes to see their kids anything but happy. But if you really stop yourself you’ll realize making them happy is really about making yourself feel better. 


Sometimes being a parent feels like sxxt when you’re doing it right. Sometimes it feels amazing when you’re perhaps doing it wrong.



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