Comments on: Rundown 5/28 http://www.hereandnow.org/2009/05/rundown-528/ National and international news analysis, film, theater, music and more, from WBUR and PRI Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:59:43 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Frank F http://www.hereandnow.org/2009/05/rundown-528/comment-page-1/#comment-1603 Frank F Thu, 28 May 2009 18:13:48 +0000 http://www.hereandnow.org/?p=3128#comment-1603 I have to disagree with Steve Almond also. At one point Steve said that the biggest difference between then and now, blah, blah, blah...to be honest I don't remember what Steve said was the big difference, but whatever it was he was wrong. The biggest difference between when "we grew up" and now is that many parents today are only part time parents. Unfortunately, far too many parents, for whatever reason (and I'm not saying that it's always greed for material things) but too many families consist of two working adults and kids in daycare, sometimes right from infancy. If you work eight or more hours a day and commute you probably only see your kids long enough to feed them dinner and put them to bed The kids are being raised by strangers, that's what I see as the biggest difference between when we grew up and this present generation. I can't help wondering how many of these parents who are complaining about the stress of changing diapers or are feeling guilty that they sometimes have less than perfect love for their kids are only really part time parents. Imagine the stress having to deal with the little ones 24/7 would cause these bad parents. I have to disagree with Steve Almond also. At one point Steve said that the biggest difference between then and now, blah, blah, blah…to be honest I don’t remember what Steve said was the big difference, but whatever it was he was wrong.
The biggest difference between when “we grew up” and now is that many parents today are only part time parents. Unfortunately, far too many parents, for whatever reason (and I’m not saying that it’s always greed for material things) but too many families consist of two working adults and kids in daycare, sometimes right from infancy.
If you work eight or more hours a day and commute you probably only see your kids long enough to feed them dinner and put them to bed The kids are being raised by strangers, that’s what I see as the biggest difference between when we grew up and this present generation.
I can’t help wondering how many of these parents who are complaining about the stress of changing diapers or are feeling guilty that they sometimes have less than perfect love for their kids are only really part time parents. Imagine the stress having to deal with the little ones 24/7 would cause these bad parents.

]]> By: Paige Burns http://www.hereandnow.org/2009/05/rundown-528/comment-page-1/#comment-1602 Paige Burns Thu, 28 May 2009 17:59:51 +0000 http://www.hereandnow.org/?p=3128#comment-1602 Robin quoted Mr. Darcy on the requirements of a truly accomplished woman in this piece. I believe the actual speaker of this quote was Miss Bingley. A small point. Thanks! Paige Robin quoted Mr. Darcy on the requirements of a truly accomplished woman in this piece. I believe the actual speaker of this quote was Miss Bingley.

A small point.

Thanks!

Paige

]]> By: Carolyn Koper http://www.hereandnow.org/2009/05/rundown-528/comment-page-1/#comment-1601 Carolyn Koper Thu, 28 May 2009 17:00:15 +0000 http://www.hereandnow.org/?p=3128#comment-1601 I hate to blow Steve Almond's (and all the other "Bad Parenting" folks') bubble, but "30 or 40 years ago" things were not all that different. On the wave of the feminism of the era came young feminist mothers who were more than willing to share their feelings about the darker sides of motherhood. Even without the blogosphere and publishers turning a blip into a bubble the sham of the "perfect mother" ideal was exposed. Somewhere in between we got "Competitive Yuppie Parenting" and the ambitious "helicopter parents" which inevitably had to crash. I think the current narrative is just the latest reflection of the conflict between ambition and reality. For the parents of this generation of parents it was a push against the 1950's ideal of the perfect mother and the struggle to "have it all". Its something all parents are still struggling with, each of them in their own way. I hate to blow Steve Almond’s (and all the other “Bad Parenting” folks’) bubble, but “30 or 40 years ago” things were not all that different. On the wave of the feminism of the era came young feminist mothers who were more than willing to share their feelings about the darker sides of motherhood. Even without the blogosphere and publishers turning a blip into a bubble the sham of the “perfect mother” ideal was exposed. Somewhere in between we got “Competitive Yuppie Parenting” and the ambitious “helicopter parents” which inevitably had to crash. I think the current narrative is just the latest reflection of the conflict between ambition and reality. For the parents of this generation of parents it was a push against the 1950’s ideal of the perfect mother and the struggle to “have it all”. Its something all parents are still struggling with, each of them in their own way.

]]> By: Patrick Miller http://www.hereandnow.org/2009/05/rundown-528/comment-page-1/#comment-1599 Patrick Miller Thu, 28 May 2009 16:28:23 +0000 http://www.hereandnow.org/?p=3128#comment-1599 No one inside or outside the media or the military discusses the fact that these men and women with wartime-related mental illnesses are trained killers. One day these deployments associated with Iraq and the war on terror will eventually come home to roost in a series of current military personnel-related and/or veteran-related shootings in the US. Is it possible the military is not doing its job to check the psychology of these individuals prior to letting them in military? Has changing the standards of recruitment created individual's prone to mental illness due to length of deployments? The military is a closed culture that doesn't like civilian scrutiny, but it is time to start investigating these issues. No one inside or outside the media or the military discusses the fact that these men and women with wartime-related mental illnesses are trained killers. One day these deployments associated with Iraq and the war on terror will eventually come home to roost in a series of current military personnel-related and/or veteran-related shootings in the US. Is it possible the military is not doing its job to check the psychology of these individuals prior to letting them in military? Has changing the standards of recruitment created individual’s prone to mental illness due to length of deployments? The military is a closed culture that doesn’t like civilian scrutiny, but it is time to start investigating these issues.

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