Quote by Midge Decter
It might sound a paradoxical thing to say --for surely never has a generation of children occupied more sheer hours of parental time --but the truth is that we neglected you. We allowed you a charade of trivial freedoms in order to avoid making those impositions on you that are in the end both the training ground and proving ground for true independence. We pronounced you strong when you were still weak in order to avoid the struggles with you that would have fed your true strength. We proclaimed you sound when you were foolish in order to avoid taking part in the long, slow, slogging effort that is the only route to genuine maturity of mind and feeling. Thus, it was no small anomaly of your growing up that while you were the most indulged generation, you were also in many ways the most abandoned to your own meager devices by those into whose safe-keeping you had been given.
Summary
The quote highlights the paradoxical nature of parenting in modern society. Parents today may dedicate countless hours to their children, yet they often neglect the true formative experiences necessary for fostering independence and strength. By shielding children from hardships and declaring them strong before they were, they missed out on the essential struggles that cultivate genuine maturity. This resulted in a generation both indulged but also abandoned to their own limited capabilities, contradicting the original purpose of nurturing their development in a safe environment.
Topics
Children
By Midge Decter
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