The Municipal Alliances of Franklin Lakes, Oakland and Wyckoff are presenting an interesting session on Tuesday: A Nation of Wimps: the High Cost of Invasive Parenting. It's a conversation with the author Hara Estroff Marano.
According to the event flyer: "A Nation of Wimps is the first book to connect the dots between overparenting and the social crisis of the young. Marano focuses on the what and how of this crisis, then turns to what we can do about it. She offers guidance for being supportive without being overprotective and for preparing kids for the real world, along with alternative approaches to educating the young and tips on how to find balance between freedom and control."
Session will take place Tuesday October 20 at 8:00 p.m. at the Ramapo High School Auditorium.
Any thoughts on this intriguing concept? Do you ever struggle with knowing how much to help your kids, vs. when to let them struggle and possibly fail? I do.
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3 comments:
Could we accuse the schools of over parenting too? Or might it be best described as over stepping their bounds?
Hmm, maybe. Would be an interesting conversation. Do you think there is any difference between "being supportive without being overprotective" and actually trying to protect kids from very real harm?
I do know that any overprotecting or "over stepping" comes from a place of genuinely wanting to help and do the right thing. It's hard for people to contemplate not doing something to help, if possible. If we agree we all want what's best for our children, that's at least a starting place.
I assume you are referring to the Code of Conduct at the high school? You know, this code has existed, in a slightly different form, for quite a while. And similar codes are in place all over the state. That being said, I do have my personal concerns about using school-based sanctions to influence Saturday night (or Sunday morning, for that matter) behavior.
But then again, so many of our kids are making bad choices with no consequences. How does a community sit back and say, "well, I guess he'll learn his lesson when something really bad happens"?
The "Nation of Wimps" session was last night...I couldn't go. Would love to hear from someone who did, or someone who has read the book.
Reinstate dodge-ball and tag. That's a start.
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