babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
Summertime is associated with fun and relaxation, but pediatricians suggest two different words for parents to keep in mind this summer: caution and supervision.
Dr. Elizabeth Whelan, founder of the American Council on Science and Health, and Dr. Robert Brent of the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, spoke with me this morning about summertime health and safety risks for children. According to Dr. Brent, accidents are the number one cause of death in kids who range in age from one-year-old to adolescence, which is why it’s so important to keep a watchful eye on your kids when they’re out and about. Here are some tips for keeping the family safe at some of the major places you’ll be hitting this summer.
Helicopter parents are defined as those who pay very close attention to their child’s experiences and problems, especially at school. On the surface, that sounds like just about any parent who wants their offspring to live the best and happiest life possible. But as evidence continues to mount, we are learning that such hovering over a child can quickly lead to over parenting. And that can be a recipe for disaster. Continue reading »
Are the children and young adults of Generation Y a group of self-obsessed whiners? Or are they a uniquely self-confident generation, perfectly poised to deal with global uncertainty?
Judith Warner, writing in this week’s New York Times Sunday Magazine comes down firmly on the side of the Generation Y, also known as the Millennials. Taking a look at the critiques of kids born between 1982 and 2001 that deem the group a bunch of narcissistic crybabies lacking any form of work ethic, Warner begs to disagree. The Millennials are, she says, optimistic that they can transcend the economic straightjacket of our era and emerge triumphant. They turn down jobs that they believe are beneath their skill levels and refuse to work more than forty hours a week because they are astonishingly confident of their abilities, and are sure the world will eventually recognize them too.
Warner attributes this cohort’s “resilience” to the after affects of growing up in “the shadow of Columbine, 9/11 and, lately, widespread parental job losses. Maybe chronic unease has simply raised this generation’s tolerance level for stress, leaving it uniquely well equipped to deal with uncertainty,’ she writes.
I disagree.
Many a Millennial’s passionate belief in themselves can be attributed not to the uncertainty they grew up in, but to the financial brio that, until recently, marked the entirely of their lives. Call them Children of the Bull. Continue reading »
Only 25 percent of working parents hope their children “pursue the same profession or career path as they did,” according to Marketwatch.
Marketwatch suggests, however, that “kids might do well to follow in their moms’ footsteps.” Female-dominated fields such as nursing and customer service are poised to experience the largest growth according to the U.S. Labor Department’s projections for 2008 to 2018. Male-dominated occupations, however, still ”pay more than female-dominated occupations at similar skill levels.”
Jennifer Grasz of CareerBuilder.com says having a parent in the same field can be an asset for your career. “You have invaluable access to someone who can tell you what it takes to get your foot in the door and move up the ladder,” and that you gain “built-in networking contacts that can help you land a job.”
But the Chicago Tribune warns grads not to let parents get involved in their search for a job. Though most parents are well-meaning in their efforts to help children secure employment, their assistance can often backfire. Laura Egan, a 26-year-old computer programmer from Naperville, IL, tells a story about losing a job because of her dad’s “help.” Continue reading »
Cell phones spoil all the fun.
That’s the only conclusion one can come to after hearing about the aborted trip to Six Flags Great Adventure last week by about thirty Northern New Jersey high school students.
The students weren’t supposed to be going to Great Adventure or, for that matter, any amusement park. They were supposed to be on their way to Ridgefield Park High School. But, somehow, they got picked up at their morning bus stop by the wrong bus, and found themselves heading down the New Jersey Turnpike for an unexpected date with Dare Devil Dive and the Great American Scream Machine.
Now this is when, back in my day, we would have shut up and decided it was our lucky day especially if, like these students, you had somehow been picked up by a bus driver who spoke no English and couldn’t understand that five minutes earlier you had been freaking out about your upcoming algebra test.
But not these descendents of helicopter parents:
When the driver got on the turnpike, the students tried to tell her that she was going the wrong way, said Little Ferry Superintendent Frank Scarafile.
“One of the kids said, ‘where are you going?’ “Scarafile recounted. The bus driver said “We’re going to Great Adventure.”
The students pulled out their cellphones and started calling their parents and the school.
The reason the student flipped out? According to student Nourhan Amer, “We thought we were going to get in trouble by the school.”
That’s right. They thought they were going to get in trouble.
Somehow, I suspect the late John Hughes would have made cinematic gold with this set-up. But, instead, we get a bunch of overprotected teacup kids who destroyed what certainly had the makings of a memorable road trip.
Chalk this one off as yet another reason why children shouldn’t have cell phones. Never mind the fear of cancer, or creating teenage text addicts. These millennial killjoys didn’t even know enough to not let their fingers do the walking, and just shut up and go for a ride. No doubt Great Adventure would have given them the benefit of a few free turns on the Runaway Mine Train before sending them back to school.
Seriously, folks, there is reason for concern here and I am not talking about school districts who hire bus drivers who are so ill-trained and unversed in the language of their charges that they think Wednesday morning is a perfectly suitable time to take a bunch of protesting school children with heavy text books and backpacks to a theme park. (I’m sure Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs are already on it.) My worry is this: Have we managed to sap all the fun and adventure – no pun intended – out of our children’s lives?
What do you think?
So Strollerderby blogger KJ won’t take the “Moms for Mouth Guards” pledge and she’s sick of helmets, too. But every mom has a weak spot when it comes to ensuring her kids survive to adulthood. Perhaps, KJ, you’d be interested in SafetyTats? (No packing of bags necessary!)
SafetyTats leverage the child-abduction paranoia in every mom with our children’s love of body art. Continue reading »
After working hard to earn advanced degrees and build successful careers, many moms are opting out of the workplace. It’s not because they are burned out or tired of hitting their heads on the glass ceiling. These educated and intelligent women are stepping off their hard-earned career tracks so that their children might someday step on. Continue reading »
Lori Garcia 
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
0