The Culture of Convenience: How We're Raising a Generation of Kids Who Can't Handle a Little Risk Recent advice columns in Slate's Care and Feeding section highlight a disturbing trend in modern parenting: the overemphasis on convenience and safety above all else.
Two separate cases illustrate this phenomenon, one involving an 11 year old's desire to drink coffee and the other a 9 year old's wish to take riding lessons. At first glance, these disputes may seem trivial.
However, they reveal a deeper concern: our society's increasing tendency to coddle and protect children from even minor challenges.