Winter-like weather has been upon us for only half a week, and already my wife is getting cabin fever.
Well, more like, “Jeez, why don’t you make some friends or call some old friends so you’ll leave the house once in a while” fever. Can’t blame the poor woman. If I’m not working, I’m interrupting her thoughts in the annoying way that only two people who spend too much time together can do.
I’d call some of my old buds, but being in early middle-age, they’re all at a stage of life where their offspring dominate most of their waking hours. Being childless, I’ve long marveled at how children control the lives of today’s parents. I find myself shaking my head in disbelief at friends whose living rooms have become obstacle courses for clumsy, oversized toys.
“The Over Scheduled Child” by Alan Rosenfield and Nicole Wise is a brilliant time out for parents who feel that child-rearing is a competitive sport. It takes a look at the psychological effects of trying to control every moment in your kid’s life. I also have been reading Richard Crain’s “Reclaiming Childhood: Letting Children Be Children in our Achievement-Oriented Society.”
If I could afford to, I’d secretly mail a copy of this one to every parent I know, since it explains how dominating our kids’ time results in children robbed of the joys and spontaneity of childhood.
Of course, I don’t have to worry about any of this personally. But if I did, you can bet my kids would spend more time goofing off than gearing up for the future.
