On Monday, Juliet and Ryan basically solved the gender gap in employment and identified it as a consequence not solely of differences between men and women, but also of a misinformed American definition of success. Or something? I’ve had a stomach bug so dehydration might have rendered me confused. But let’s go with that summary, and allow me to dip my own toe into the water of American Dreamz and their post-modern consequences by offering up a scathing review of our nation’s parenting. As always, my friends, YOU’RE WELCOME.
I’ve been a mother for ten months, which naturally makes me an expert on it—for proof, check out my previous posts. In addition to being a mother, I am a person who has a lot of opinions, all of them correct. And my reaction to American parenting is similar to the one my father would yell when times were getting a little estrogen-heavy in my childhood home: “EVERYBODY JUST CALM DOWN!!!”
By the way, in case you were thinking of skipping this post because you’re not a parent, might I interest you in the possibility that American parenting, like American working, like American lots-of-things, is reflective of a sickness that resides within each of us, vis a vis, we are all trying to prove ourselves. At work, on the playground, at the PTA, on the dating scene, we have reinforcements in this quest from a culture that tells us we are constantly in control of every outcome: prenatal testing, online profiles, amassing of wealth*. We are victims of our own success as the richest nation on Earth. Our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness. Continue reading
