Hyper-Parenting

By Laura Knoy on Sunday, July 26, 2009.

A new book warns of the dangers of micro-managed kids running from music lessons to soccer practice to math tutoring. Author Carl Honore’ says children need to be rescued from this junior-sized “rat race” and be allowed to relax, play, and just be kids. We’ll look at the idea of hyper-parenting and what it means for our children.

This program was originally broadcast on June 2, 2009

Guest

  • Carl Honore, freelance journalist and author of Under Pressure: Rescuing Our Children from the Culture of Hyper-Parenting
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Over-parented students
Milli S. Knudsen - Mon, 07/27/2009 - 08:21

I was a teacher in Londonderry for 25 years. Though I had many parents who were thoughtful and responsible parents, I also had some students who were visibly nervous about their gymnastics-music lesson-foreign language-athletic afterschool activities. I was asked many times to limit how much homework I assigned because it interfered with the after school activities. I don't teach any more.

Overparenting & education
Milli . Knudsen - Mon, 07/27/2009 - 08:56

One of the problems with testing is the amount of time it takes to evaluate children's progress. A "test" is relatively easy to correct, grade and return to the student. However, redaing and writing takes a lot of time to evaluate and discuss with children. In the 1950's mothers and fathers read at home, at bedtime and really did the initial tecahing. That does not happen today in the majority of low-to-middle class families who are too busy keeping food on the table to have the time to leisurely instill the love of learning and reading in their children.