If I'm out in public and I hear screaming kids, I try not to judge. I have six (6!) nieces and nephews and friends with babies, so I understand how hard it can be. Plus, the babies (and even the teenagers) are just so damn cute! I love them all equally but differently.
Then, I read this article. I couldn't help but wonder how different children are based on the society they live in. I know I was raised a bit different than some of my friends. Part of that was because my mother and father were raised in fairly conservative families of the 50's. They were strict with us, although my father maintains that we were considerably more spoiled than he was as a child.
While I read the article I thought of several friends who have criticized some parents they have witnessed who "use" their kids to do their errands, chores, etc. Is that wrong? I don't think it is depending on how severe the work that is required. Then again, some of the tribes in the article don't seem to think using weapons or playing with fire at the age of three is too much. It's fair to say that some parents in our society are far too hard on their kids- do you recall all the talk about the Tiger moms?
What's the answer? I have no idea. The best answer is typically- balance. I'm not a mom yet, so I'm not sure, but I'm guessing that you can't go too easy on them, and you can't be too hard on them.
Next question- how do you find the balance?
