There is also the ceaseless outpouring of books on toilet…
““There is also the ceaseless outpouring of books on toilet training, separating one sibling's fist from another sibling's eye socket, expressing breast milk while reading a legal brief, helping preschoolers to "own" their feelings, getting Joshua to do his homework, and raising teenage boys so they become Sensitive New Age Guys instead of rooftop snipers or Chippendale dancers. Over eight hundred books on motherhood were published between 1970 and 2000; only twenty-seven of these came out between 1970 and 1980, so the real avalanch happened in the past twenty years. We've learned about the perils of "the hurried child" and "hyperparenting," in which we schedule our kids with so many enriching activities that they make the secretary of state look like a couch spud. But the unhurried child probably plays too much Nintendo and is out in the garage building pipe bombs, so you can't underschedule them either. Then there's the Martha Stewartization of America, in which we are meant to sculpt the carrots we put in our kids' lunches into the shape of peonies and build funhouses for them in the backyard; this has raised the bar to even more ridiculous levels than during the June Cleaver era.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Parenting culture has swung from over‑protective to over‑scheduled, creating extremes that hinder healthy child development.
In simple terms: Parenting trends are now too extreme in both directions.
Seek balanced, flexible parenting.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- family routines
- educational planning
- screen time limits
- creative play
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What balance feels right for your family?
- How do societal pressures shape your parenting choices?
Over‑regulation can stifle independence; under‑regulation can risk safety.