![]() ![]() They worry that if they don't do these things, their child will somehow fall behind." Donahue argues that the reverse is actually true: Constant parental hovering makes it difficult for kids to develop independence, resourcefulness, imagination, and basic life skills - all things that will help a child achieve in school and in life. "Parents think they should do it all for their kids: stimulate them, keep them constantly entertained, do everything for them so they won't have to endure any frustration. Psychologist Paul Donahue, author of the book Parenting Without Fear, offers a similar perspective. Having a small number of simple, basic toys helps children develop their imagination and resourcefulness." But it turns out that kids who are more creative actually have fewer toys. "The average American child gets 70 new toys a year. "There is evidence that the best thing you can do for your child is to buy fewer things," says Paul. ![]() When it comes to helping your child reach her potential, it turns out that less is often more. What You Can Do: Paul and other experts agree that it's not necessary to buy every educational toy that hits the market or fill each hour of your child's day with enrichment activities. But this doesn't mean that you should panic and begin grooming your child for the Ivy League the day you bring him home from the hospital. It makes sense that parents are concerned about their children and how they'll fare in an increasingly competitive world. Many parents today are struggling to make ends meet, and they want a different kind of future for their kids." The Reality: There's no question that we're living in a time of economic uncertainty: Unemployment and the cost of living are both on the rise, while wages are stagnant and increasing numbers of jobs are going overseas. "Parents are afraid that their children won't have an easy go of it because they aren't having an easy go of it. ![]() ![]() "Underlying a lot of parents' fears is a broad sense of economic insecurity," she says. Paul believes this parental anxiety is a rational reaction to a scary economic climate. Marketers feed the fear, claiming "educational" toys and products and early reading programs will put your child on the fast track to success - before he's even out of diapers. In the book, Paul shows how parental anxiety fuels this lucrative industry. We consulted Sacchetti and a host of other experts to find out how your fears stack up against the facts and what you can do to keep your child safe. "Our access to information doesn't keep up with our access to entertainment." "Unfortunately, a lot of what we're exposed to on TV is designed to generate ratings rather than educate parents," says Sacchetti. Parents also tend to be particularly afraid of lurid and sensational hazards, those that draw media attention and make for movie-of-the-week melodramas.Īlfred Sacchetti, an emergency room doctor in Camden, New Jersey, and spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians, says it's common for parents to worry more about their child being abducted by a stranger than about his riding in a car without a seat belt or playing near an ungated swimming pool - even though car- and water-related accidents pose a far greater threat to kids than abduction. In general, parents and nonparents alike tend to fear the things they can't control. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |