For tens of thousands of years, a young mother could look around her and see a half dozen older female relatives, probably including her own mother, grandmother, and various aunts, ready to help her learn how to be a mom, and clunk her if she screwed up. That's what nature intended, and it's true for a lot of higher animals besides people.
It does take a village to raise a child, but I think my anthropological definition of "village" differs markedly from Hillary's "nanny state" definition.
We live largely isolated from tribes and family groups now, and frankly, I'm amazed we don't have more problems than we do. Parenting classes are a good idea, but I feel like they tend to express the Parenting Theory of the Moment rather than generations of long experience.
Wow...what an opportunity for the elderly. Big Brother and Sister programs are great. Maybe what we need is "Grandma and Grandpa" programs. Not just for kids, but for young parents.
Off Topic » in reply to You don't need a license to have a dog.
Parenting classes
The whole thread (29 posts)
- Bored to death by her children...
- Just to play devil's advocate...
- Bored to death by their elderly parents...
- Freedom of choice
- 35 years ago Ann Landers conducted a poll.