Kids and Fear

I think this article has a tremendous point of view on parenting. This is from a feature Newsweek runs every week called "My Turn" where a person writes in with his/her perspective on a given issue. The woman who wrote this lives over in Chapel Hill. Amy & I should look her up to meet her. I think per point is dead on.

"We Protect Kids From Everything But Fear"

Fear is the new fuel of the American mom. If it's not fear of her child becoming obese, it's the fear of falling behind, missing out on a sports scholarship or winding up with a thin college-rejection envelope.

...........................................................

It's not that I think parents shouldn't worry about anything. I'm personally petrified of SUV drivers on cell phones. I fret as much as the next mom about how to pay for college. I pray my kids won't wander onto MySpace and post something dumb.

But you can't go around afraid of everything. It's too exhausting! No matter how careful you are, bad stuff happens (diaper rash, stitches, all your friends assigned to another class). And it's seldom the end of the world.

Amen to that.