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I feel like there are some modern kids that are coddled, however, I don’t think this is a bad thing. There are some parents that overprotect their child to an extreme level, but this is not always the case. A child is a child and their parents are responsible for them until they are 18 years old. Giving them too much freedom can result in reckless behavior. Allowing them to do as they please gives the child a sense of independence that they can begin to abuse as they get older. Once they are older, it becomes harder to control them as you have already granted them this independence. A nine year old child doesn’t have the precautions that an 18 year old may have. There are children that don’t see the danger and can walk themselves into certain situations that pose a threat to them. They are not old enough to fully understand everything around them. However, there are some cases in which children will disobey their parents commands and find other ways to gain this independence. For example, if you prevent a child from going out even if they are 17, they will most likely try to find a way to do the things they want to do. There have been multiple cases in which children, especially teens, have disobeyed their parents commands as they are tired of being coddled to an extreme level. However, if you grant them all of this independence at once, they may not see the danger in society or have the mindset of being careful. For example, Jeannette started cooking from a very early age, just three years old. She burned herself while cooking which comes to show why you shouldn’t allow your child to do such a thing at such a young age. This could have easily been prevented if her parents would’ve just been responsible enough to cook for her. Even though crime rates may have dropped, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still be careful. It can happen to absolutely anyone and even if the chances are still low, there’s no guarantee that your child isn’t going to be the next victim. I agree with the saying that it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are some extents to both points, but you can always find ways to not doing it to an extreme level. For example, my mom uses Life360 and checks on my location all the time just to ensure that I’m safe and where I’m supposed to be. Usually, children are everything to their parents and they wouldn’t want anything bad happening to them so as long as they are under their care, they should do whatever is possible to ensure the best for them.

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It matters the parent, the child, the country, and of course the time period. In our country, the children have a relatively wide amount of freedom, especially with the rise of the internet. (Maybe too much freedom on the internet.) I don’t think children are being coddled or are overprotected, but rather spoiled. I think there’s a good amount of monitoring of the children in this country since we have very large cities with big crime rates, and we have more programs in place to protect our children in cities than we did decades ago. However, American children more often then not are very sheltered from hardships and are given whatever they want from their parents, which is both a blessing and a curse. I think something we need more of is cyber safety. Many parents don’t know what their child is doing on the internet and I think children are given phones at too young of an age, being spoiled. I think a good age for a kid to get a phone is at 13 where the privilege of social media may be granted. The internet is a very fun place if you’re able to use it safely, and I think too many kids in our country are venturing into things they shouldn’t be at too young of an age. Children are exposed to too many dangers on social media, and I always find it bizarre when I see a 5 year old get their hands on the newest iphone. Apart from this, I don’t think children are coddled and that keeping your children safe is important without restricting them too much, and keeping a rational parenting style is important for both the parent and the child.

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I think that modern kids are definitely more protected than before but I wouldn't say that they are coddled. I think that the example in the article was pretty irresponsible but I can see where she is coming from. I think that it is important, to some extent, to let kids learn and experience the outside world on their own. I think that letting a child ride the subway is an example of this and although I think it is not the best way and is still a bit dangerous, just the idea of a child having the freedom to make these choices and be able to have this freedom is important. Without this, a child will be used to this coddling and never be able to fully grow into a functioning adults and care for themselves. This relates to The Glass Castle because it is an example of when kids are barely given any regulations and are not monitored at all. I think that this instance is very irresponsible but the children seemed to be able to grow up into successful people. Whether or not a child should have this freedom should be a compromise between both sides. It is important not to overly monitor a child but still ensure that they are safe and make sure they can learn how to be a part of society at their own pace.

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Child crying over losing a Fortnite Game. 

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Modern Children, through a largely general lens, are not kept coddled, but rather, kept safe. Although crime rates have dropped in cities all over the world, the danger that exists within a densely populated, urban zone is considerable, and not just for children. Children, however, are at a greater risk for everything, due to their helplessness and general lack of a fully developed cognitive system.

The modern phenomena of "coddling" or keeping a watchful, restrictive eye on children does not arise from a simple desire to be next to your child at all times, it arises from the paranoia of danger, which thereon exists as a result of greater awareness of social issues. A parent may hold their child to be fairly responsible, but the possibility of something going wrong is never eliminated, no matter how small. Children are not to be chained down, but are also not to be left to do everything on their own.

In cases in which a family does not have any other option but to position their child in a circumstance through which they have to act on their own, it is vital for communication and a means for aid to exist. A child, left alone, with no cell phone or extra cash is never safe. In the case something goes wrong, either with a personal accident or some form of conflict with another person, a child should always have a way to communicate with their parent or guardian.

Modern children aren't coddled, they're kept safe. A troubled childhood is never a good one. However, it is always important to keep in mind not being excessive nor in lack thereof. A balance of control and freedom is vital to a proper, stable childhood.

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I think that modern kids are coddled. I personally know the feeling because I wasn’t able to go out alone with friends until 2-ish years ago. Still to this day they don’t let me go out to some places even if I know someone that will be there. I understand their reasoning because there are a lot of bad people in the world but I think kids should have some freedom. Without freedom kids wouldn’t know how to live without their parents when the time comes. They would have a bad time in college and they wouldn’t want to move out. It’s also bad for young kids to have too much freedom. The world is dangerous and maybe not as bad as it was, but it still is. Once kids reach a certain age and a higher level of maturity, they should be allowed to go out every once in a while.

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I believe that kids are coddled by their parents because I know many parents that don’t let their child hand out with other people because they are scared to what will happen to the child if they aren’t there. It is good, however, to have some protection over your children such as making them do things for protection. In “Are Modern Kids Coddled?” by Newsweek Staff states “At Free Range Kids, we believe in safe kids. We believe in helmets, car seats and safety belts.” So it’s good to make kids wear things for protection, but parents shouldn’t be so overprotective about where a kid is going and not letting them go because they are afraid of what will happen to the child. As states in “Are Modern Kids Coddled” it says that “Nationwide, stranger abductions are extremely rare; there’s a one-in-a-billion chance a child will be taken by a stranger, according to the Justice Department. And 90 percent of sexual abuse cases are committed by someone the child knows.” So considering how rare it is to be abducted, there is no need to be overprotective of their children, especially if you know the people that are close to the child are people that would never hurt the child. And just in case that none of this will persuade an overprotective parent, go get a GPS phone for your child that tracks your child’s every move. It could be bad for your child to be overprotective by a parent because then they will never learn how to be independent themselves.

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Modern kids aren’t coddled. -Antuan Antela

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Modern kids aren’t coddled. -Antuan Antela

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Modern society is a dangerous place. With the chaos of modern cities, it’s very likely you’ll bump into an unsavory character by complete coincidence, and children don’t usually know how to deal with these situations. It’s true that having children get used to being by themselves is good, as it may help them later in life. It may also be counter productive to watch over them 24/7, as they might feel insecure as adults. However, it’s better to have a sheltered child than a traumatized one. If you don’t watch over them, they may get hurt, either on accident or on purpose, or worse things may happen should they run into a bad character. Despite the benefits of giving children freedom early on, the risks far outweigh them.

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In some ways, yes, modern kids are coddled. I do feel like exposure to bad scenarios has more to do with this, however. Nowadays, parents are constantly watching the News, in which every child abduction story is put on full screen. Even though society has become a safer place overtime, it’s dangers are more emphasized than they were before. I feel like the best place for parenting is a middle ground. Giving your child too much freedom without proper education can lead them into sticky situations, but protecting a child too much can make them inexperienced for the real world. If a child has been watched constantly for years, and he or she is in an unsafe situation, he may not know how to deal with it on his own, and vice versa. If a child has too much freedom, they may think they know everything and end up getting lost, or worse. Both of these can have negative effects when not done in a balance.

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A. Do you feel that modern kids are coddled? In what ways is it good to protect/shelter a child v. give a child independence? When does one or the other start to affect a child negatively?

You may share personal examples, real world connections, or connections related to The Glass Castle.

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Modern kids are coddled. There are so many ways that parents hover over their children even when they become adults. Independence is good to teach at a young age, but only to a certain extent. There needs to be a balance between both sides of the argument. A parents can't be too overprotective, but they can't be too lenient. Education as to how a child should handle situations and to be aware of their surroundings is the best way to go about letting them be independent. A parent shouldn't be letting their five year old go out to the store by themselves. There needs to be a clear sense of maturity and responsibility within the child before they can roam freely. A child should never be left alone without a cell phone. Communication is key when giving your child independence, but not in an overbearing way. A child needs to be introduced to the real world and its better to get the idea of reality into their heads so that it is easier for them to take care of themselves in the future.

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Modern kids aren't really coddled, but they are protected. It's good to teach your child skills to be independent in the real world, but I think something like the lady in the article letting her nine-year-old son taking the train by himself is possibly too extreme? She's creating a false dichotomy by acknowledging that one extreme of parenting is bad and immediately going towards the other. Additionally, the article said that New York City is safer now than it ever was, and that is definitely not true. Just yesterday my friend, who lives in New York City and usually takes the train to school, had to be picked up by her parents because there were bombs planted along the tracks of the train she had to take, everything was delayed and it was a whole mess. It's also important to take into account that the issue of modern kids being "coddled" is often targeted towards more middle or upper-class families, as they have the resources and privileges to be overprotective of their kids. If both parents are working, have busy schedules and can't hire a nanny, their child will have to take themselves to school in some way and face any sort of dangers that come along with it. Upper and middle class parents get a choice to manage their children's safety more and that's an opportunity they should take. As we saw in the Glass Castle, Jeannette and her siblings were given a lot of freedom to the point of neglect, and they did suffer from it, but this is also another extreme.  There needs to be a middle ground to the situation.

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In my opinion i do think modern kids are coddled I feel like when we here about what generations before did and how that was the normal I usually get a sense that our lives are much easier and more restricted than theirs. Parents now think that anything and everything bad will happen to their child because of all the stories they have seen in the news about bad things happening to kids. Which leads parents to not let their children do anything without their supervision. I think there has to be a balance of being a responsible parent but also letting your child mess up and learn from their experiences, because that’s how they grow and mature. I think for smaller children parents need to have that over the shoulder supervision but as they grow up to give them more and more freedom.I think if a parent gives a child to much freedom and too early then their child becomes irresponsible and reckless.

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I feel like modern kids are coddled, especially more than they were twenty or even ten years ago. The difference is that now a lot of parents have access to the news and actively watch it whereas before, a lot of parents couldn’t watch the news. The news highlights our world’s daily issues and there are a lot of them; children are taken advantage of and abused. I agree with Skenazy in the sense that the news does impact our parents decisions on how to raise us, because obviously without the news no one would know about what’s happening across the country. However, without the news we would be oblivious to whatever issues are present in our world and younger children may receive too much freedom. I feel like a good way to protect a child is based on how mature and capable they are, if a child is good at listening and is aware when they are on the streets then they should be allowed to do things on their own, or at the very least be out on their own. However, if a child is always on their phones when walking out and are not aware of the atrocities that can occur when out, then they shouldn’t receive a lot of privilege. With age comes more privilege because with age comes maturity, usually. One or the other starts to hurt the child when they receive too much of something, if a child is too coddled, they will grow introverted and possibly not ready for the real world, adulthood. But if a child is given too much freedom at a young age, they can get hurt or lose focus of the important things in life. Balance is essential to proper development. I know this because my mom can sometimes be overprotective because of what she sees on the news, sometimes she doesn’t want me to hang out with my friends because she of what happened in who knows where. I get what she is saying, but I still want to live my life and have fun, obviously I’m mature enough to know that a lot of people in this world are bad and stuff like that. I already know that and thankfully over the years she has let me do a lot more with my friend and she has let lose, because I’ve matured. I feel like an example of too much freedom is the Walls family in The Glass Castle because the amount of freedom Jeannette was given at an early age was shocking. For example, when Jeannette was thrown out of the car, she was just alone on the streets for hours, her parents must’ve been fully aware of this, but they just let it happen and took their time to pick her back up. I feel like there’s a good balance for everyone depending on how mature and old they are.

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I do not believe that modern kids are overprotected, or at least as overprotected as the article makes it out to be.
Firstly, going on the fact that kids used to walk to school more than they do now. Before, children tended to just go to their local school, which often tended to be pretty close to where they lived. These days, however, children often times don’t go to their local school, but rather a school with programs and electives relevant to what they want to study, often times meaning that their school is likely too far to walk their within a reasonable time. On top of that, cars were not as common before as they are now, meaning that children before didn’t have as much of a choice as to whether to go to school via car or walking. While walking or biking to school would be a healthier choice, not everyone has the ability to do so now. And as for other independent modes of transportation, such as bus or train, well, at least in Miami those modes of transportation aren’t the most efficient thing currently, but in cities where it is, such as New York, children are often permitted to use those freely, without necessarily being supervised.
While, in general, I believe modern kids are not coddled, I do believe that there are some who are, which has negative impacts on the child’s development. A kid who is constantly being hovered over, protected from making mistakes and with a little bubble around them to prevent them from getting hurt, will often grow up into an adult who is severely dependent on others, who doesn’t know how to deal with failure or mistakes and who can’t make choices on their own. On the other hand, underprotecting children is also harmful to them. As seen in the Glass Castle, Jeannette and her siblings were left to do what they wanted literally as soon as they left the womb. While Jeannette seems to have turned out relatively normal, generally these children would be expected to grow up detached, not knowing well how to form solid bonds with others, and being over independent, not knowing how to ask for help or how to accept it.

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I feel that some kids get coddled and some don’t. There are extremes of both and I have seen both of them. I have a friend who is always let out of the house. She doesn’t even have to ask to sleep at a friends house for a week. And she can skip school when she is tired and her parents don’t tell her anything because they think she should be independent. I also have another friend who is never allowed to go anywhere because her parents get anxious. My friend who is allowed to go everywhere is one of the most mature people I know and my friend who is coddled is not even close to that maturity level. That is not to say that she is not mature at all, cause she is, but it is not at the same level. I believe that sheltering a child should depend on the maturity level of that child. If your kid knows how to follow safety rules and doesn’t forget to follow them then they should have more freedom. However if you child is not safe when they are by themselves than they should be watched a little more because you don’t want them to get hurt. It is important to note that an extreme of any side is not good. Having way too much freedom sometimes gives the sense that your parents don’t want to keep you safe or get you into bad situations that you don’t know how to deal with yet. Over coddling a child offered ends up with that child going crazy and doing bad things because they were never allowed to experience anything when they were younger. So everything should be in moderation :)

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Yes and no. The world of today was different than the place that the last generation grew up in. People now own more cars, for example, so it’s not as safe to let kids play out in the street as it used to be. Kids now are most definitely being raised in different circumstances, so the need to watch over them a little bit more is justified. One thing that the Newsweek article we read doesn’t discuss is that, well, to put it plainly, kids are stupid. Someone under the age of ten probably isn’t savvy enough to navigate a big city alone, let alone be responsible for their own transportation fees and safety without even carrying a cell phone. For example, I know that if fourth grade me was sent to ride the metro alone, she probably would have fallen on the tracks. That being said, I do think the “helicopter parent” mindset can be harmful. Statistically, kids are extremely unlikely to be abducted in public, abused by a stranger or end up in an accident. In fact, the rates of these instances have gone down since previous generations’ childhoods. Kids also need to be prepared so they know what to do when they eventually become teens and adults who need to learn how to move around in the world on their own. It’s important that they learn that the world isn’t always such a dangerous place and that they aren’t likely to have something harmful happen to them every time they go out. Kids should not be afraid, but they should be safe.

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I believe that modern kids are coddled, however, the amount of freedom that should be given to them is greatly dependent on their situation. Modern kids are coddled because they are all being overly protected by their parents. Modern day parents believe that at any given moment of distraction, their child could be kidnapped. This belief is derived from the news, which constantly reminds parent of cases of kidnapped children, and movies based on child abductions were the parent do the impossible to get their children back. I think that this belief is a understandable mistake as they’re being set up into believing this. However there is some truth in this lie as even though the statistics are relatively low, child abductions are still an everyday occurrence. The amount of freedom provided to children is dependent on their situations. A child must be tested in order to really be sure of their judgement and maturity in order to be really sure that they are capable of dealing with this newfound freedom. Their location also matters because a child who lives in an urban city is not going to receive the same amount of freedom as one who lives in a rural place. The urban and rural cities both pose their own dangers, and should be taken into consideration before providing freedom to a child. A parent should also have an idea of where and what their child is doing, taking the necessary measures, but also not interfering too much or interrupting their child’s freedom. For example putting a curfew and a limit to their area of freedom could help. Doing research on the community and type of people that live in their area would also prove helpful, as they are able to adequately judge if it is safe for them to roam around their area. Parent should also be aware that the world is not the same from when they were children, and what was acceptable back then is not necessarily acceptable today. All in all, a moderate but still true freedom is the best choice, with the amount of freedom varying from child to child, and depending on various factors including judgement and location.

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Society sucks. We can all agree with that. People can be creepy, kidnappings happen, and overall, it's crap. That being said, statistics are a big player in my decision, and I'll explain exactly why.

First of all, who likes people reading over your shoulder, seeing exactly what you do when you do it. Some call this stalking, yet when it's from your parents it's 100% AOK. I say if you're going to spy on your kid's parents, at least don't make it obvious.

Second, statistics have proven that A) stranger abductions are rare, 1 in a million rare. That means that of the 1 million kids who may walk to school, only one may get abducted. You have a much higher chance from your own family. This, I will admit, is a scary thought, but if you teach your child right, you can prevent it. And, you may be saying "oh, New York is a dangerous city, you have to be careful" newsflash, New York is ranked 136th in crime ratings. America is safer than it's ever been!

Third, with knowledge comes responsibility. On the news today, you can see who got kidnapped, when, and how. You can see what the people look like, and how long they've been missing. This is done specifically so that you can help find these people. There's a saying, "out of sight, out of mind" Now that every kidnapping reported gets airtime, people are more educated that it happens. That being said, the statistics show that things haven't changed, that things have gotten better. Yet were over protecting our children more than ever. As stated, knowledge comes with responsibility. Kidnappings aren't more common, just more reported.

Lastly, in writing this, I'm not saying, "throw the children on the streets and let them do what they want". I believe in a middle ground. Monitoring where your child is, seeing exactly where they may be, and understanding that they are human and they have their needs and their wants is prominent. Kids like to feel independent, hell, I like to feel independent. I'm fine with my parents seeing where I am, so long as they don't go overboard by getting fussy. There's a balance between both that is important for one to keep if you wish to have a positive relationship with your parents.

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I believe that modern kids are not coddled. Instead, they are protected, and for good reason. Though they may not have the same level of independence as children in the past decades, the world is very dangerous. There are countless individuals waiting to take advantage of the vulnerable. If an adult accompanies a child when they go out, the adult will be able to recognize dangerous signs before the child does. A child may not be able to recognize a predator, but an adult will most likely see the signs in body language and looks. Additionally, having an adult present will discourage those that want to harm a child. If a kid is alone, they become an easier target. They also become more of a target when they are introverted. An introverted child will not interact with many people and will most likely be scared to tell an adult of a bad thing that happened to them. As seen in the Glass Castle, the Walls children are constantly getting hurt or abused. Not only does this affect them physically, but it hurts them mentally. All of that pain could have been avoided had the parents watched over their kids more closely. I do, however, believe that it is important to encourage independence when the child becomes a teenager. At this stage, they are more able to recognize dangerous signs and are capable of keeping themselves safe.

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This generation has changed profoundly and it is definitely not the same world that parents used to live in. Parents are way more protective over their children now a days because they’ve realized that they can’t let their children wander off and give them the freedom to do as they please. I do believe that modern kids are coddled, but I don’t believe it is right to coddle them all their lives. They need to experience the real world at an appropriate age. An age where they have captivated what is good and bad and an age where  they know how to make reasonable decisions whithout having their parents right by their sides. Children might not like the fact that their parents still coddle them at an old age but it is reasonable to do so. I do believe that we have to let our children go at some point and that we can’t coddle them forever because then we aren’t giving them the chance to grow and become independent human beings. There are some parents who believe the world hasn’t changed at all and they deserve the same independence and freedom their parents gave them around the same age. Just because you lived a certain life doesn’t mean your child should live the same life as you did. You as a parent have to understand the world around them is changing and not for the better. Everyday it is much more dangerous than it was yesterday. I’ve heard many stories of my parents walking to school everyday, but when I asked then why I couldn’t do the same the reason would always be because the world has changed and it is much more dangerous.

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Lorelai is totally not talking about coddled eggs. 

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To start, I think “coddled” is too strong of a word. Even in the article, Skenazy uses exaggerated language with “keeping kids under lock and key and helmet… it’s debilitating”. It generalizes the situations of many families with different lives, and that’s why I think that the debate about children’s being coddled heavily depends on the situation of the families themselves.

When reading, something I thought about was that they were talking about a kid  in New York, where everything you need is a couple blocks away. However, for someone who lives in the suburbs like myself, it would take me a good couple hours to get to the grocery store nearest me, that we don’t even go to because my mom doesn’t like it.

I think parents are just trying to keep their children safe, not coddling them. There is a bigger awareness of what happens in the world, and there is more danger arising in our modern world. However, giving your children zero independence with leave them with a lack of maturity and knowledge for the future world.

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I do believe that modern kids are coddled. I don’t think  kids being coddled is a bath thing, because parents should be protective of their children. I don’t agree that they should be extremely over protective, but I do believe that every parents should be protective of their child. Being a parent means assuming the responsibility to take care of your child. Now a days we can see how giving your child to much independence can have negative affects, because they take advantage of that fact that you’re letting them do whatever they want. This is why I believe that kids should be able to get independence, but it should be controlled. There needs to be a balance in the independence that is given to a child. You have to be both overprotective and be lenient at the same time. Parents should be  able to educate their child in the right way and teach them how to handle certain situations. While doing this parents are teaching their children to be independent. For example, a parent shouldn’t be letting their 6 year old son go home alone on a subway. Children need to be mature and be able to take responsibility in order to be able to have that sense of independent they want. When a child is a certain age that they can be able to take responsibility and are mature they should be allowed to go by themselves. If a child has a phone and they’re responsible and mature they should be able to go out. This is because a child should never leave his house without being able to communicate with his family or peers. As a parent you’re going to be calm if you can call your child when they’re out. For example, my family has life 360. Anytime they let me go out with my friend they know where I am. This makes them not worry, because they know I’m okay.  Being able to communicate with your parents plays a big role in independence. When children are introduced to independence little by little they know the importance of having your parents trust. The minute that you lose your trust is the minute they lose their independence. It’s important for kids to be introduced to the idea of freedom without taking advantage of the independence their parents are giving them.

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I think it depends on the family, some kids might be coddled by their parents and some others might not. I personally wasn’t coddled, my parents let me sleepover friend’s houses at a young age, just as long as they knew the parents well. And now they let be go wherever I want with my friends just as long as I tell them where I am. Children should be moderated to an extent and it depends on the maturity of the child.  If you keep your children coddled, they will become dependent, immature and will not know how to survive outside of their parent’s supervision. I have a friend whose parents are really paranoid about letting her go out anywhere with her friends, but grant her a lot of freedom on the internet. I feel like the internet is place where children nowadays have too much freedom. And are experiencing some things that they shouldn’t at a their age. I feel like parents let their kids be on the internet because they don’t know the dangers of it and think that as long as their home all day they’re safe. But now first of all keeping them home all day isn’t a good thing, it can lead them to grow up immature, crazy since they couldn’t do anything as a child. And too much freedom on the internet is dangerous because I know the people she talks to on there, and there are some really sketchy people that live on the other side of the world and you don’t know anything about, not even their name. I’m not saying that everyone on the internet is bad but that some moderation should be placed so that you know what your child is doing, and spending all day stuck to a computer isn’t at all healthy. Too much freedom is bad because one thing bad can happen to your child, but no freedom at all won’t teach them how to survive without their parents. You just have to take into consideration what balance is best for your children depending on their maturity and age.

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I believe that modern kids are typically coddled especially in the United States. It is important to ensure that your kid is safe but it is also important they have some independence in life as well. A kid can't become responsible and a reliable adult if they are constantly kept under surveillance and controlled. I understand the fear parents have in letting their kids roam a little more freely but they can't truly develop if they are always on a leash. For example, parents getting upset online because a kid went on the bus alone is absurd. Not that something bad can't happen but the chances are so slim regardless of how they seem. The easy access to News Reports and social media create even more fear in parents because they constantly see issues that arise around the world but this doesn't give an accurate description of how safe these places really are. As a matter of fact, places are considered much safer now than they were before. I do also think giving a kid too much freedom is unsafe and unreasonable but a sort of balance must be maintained. In other words, I do believe parents coddle their children and they should allow them to have the same freedom they probably had as a kid but I do also think it is good to control some aspects of the children's lives.

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Personally, I don't think modern kids are coddled. To coddle means to overprotect, which I don't believe the condemned parents in "Are Modern Kids Coddled?" do. There's a big difference between micromanaging your child's life and keeping them safe, and I feel that the article fails to tell these two realms apart. In this day and age, we are slowly beginning to realize that children require more than the basics of living—they need care and supervision. "Free-range" adults reminiscing on their childhood "independence" can often come off as tone-deaf in arguments about child safety. I think this mother puts it nicely in her blog post (https://www.scarymommy.com/teaching-kids-independence-support) when she says "it’s easy to look at the words 'independence' and 'responsibility' and think only in terms of stringent, assertive control. We are regularly encouraged to push our children... we champion “tough love” parenting in the hopes that it produces adults in this world who think beyond themselves." She goes on to state that the problem with exclusively raising kids in this "let loose and let go" way is that it can hinder the development of traits like interdependence, empathy, and gentleness.

My main gripe with the article we read in class today was how it seemed to discourage children from the idea of caution and interdependence. It focused more on "can we let kids do whatever they want; woo, freedom, yeah," and not on "how can we assist kids in exploring and better understanding the world," which I would have 100% stood behind. I think, based on what I'm taking their point to be, that a more worthwhile argument to ponder would be "are modern kids not allowed the same learning experiences (and what can we do about it)."

"Are Modern Kids Coddled" makes protecting/sheltering a child seem antagonistic. They attempt to justify their thoughts on the matter by saying that sheltering takes away a child's self-education. This, however, makes little sense to me, as you can both support your child and let them learn independently. The ideal goal is not for your child to fall off the bike alone and terrified; the ideal goal is for them to succeed in riding it with you by their side for if they happen to crash. An easy, smooth ride isn't bad; as Elizabeth Spencer says (see attached link above), "my parents made life easier for me. This is not enabling... this is not stunting growth. This is [a] relationship. This is love."

As for "when does [sheltering a kid] or [giving a kid independence] start to affect a child negatively?", extremes are always where it's at. I don't believe the entirety of "modern kids" are coddled, but some could be. And of course, coddling in its real, actual form can have harmful impacts on a child, from co-dependency (different from interdependency!) to social incapability.

P.s., if you're looking for a fun, if a little partisan article to read on this subject, try this: (https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/stop-telling-parents-not-to-coddle-children-you-wouldnt-like-the-alternative/2018/02/23/d843d54c-0d57-11e8-95a5-c396801049ef_story.html). Peter Birkenhead, the author, is very intense, and I don't agree with all the points he's making, but I found it funny how some of the examples he listed paralleled Jeannette's.

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I feel that modern kids are coddled. When I usually talk to some of the older generations like my dad he talks about going out with his friends and all the things he was doing at my age with the freedom his parents gave him. He turned out alright so why can’t I have the freedom he does.

I was able to get a little more freedom since the start of the pandemic but I can’t just leave my house with no restrictions. Although I have more freedom I don’t always get the green light to go wherever I want even if my parents know who I’m hanging out with.

I do understand that my parents probably want the best for me and I do think parents should protect their children but there has to be a balance between freedom and protection. What i mean by that is that if you give your child too much freedom, especially at a young age he will not know what to do since he doesn’t know any better and might not have discipline. On the other hand, if you are too overprotective and you release him at let’s say the age of 18 he might not be prepared for the real world because he has no experience and the child will be negatively affected.

In conclusion, parents should know when their child has enough discipline to go out into the real world but they also have to take into account that they can’t be overprotective maniacs.

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In comparison to kids in the past, yes, I do think modern kids are coddled.  Unlike before, parents are now more exposed to news on T.V and social media where kids are frequently reported missing or victims of sexual abuse which leads to parents being overprotective with their children. However, there are many factors that go into the decision of whether a child is being coddled or not. A child living in a big city isn’t going to be exposed to the same threats as one living in a small town. And relating back to the interview of Jeannette Walls, everything is about perspective. Although many stated that Jeannette was abused as a child, she never viewed it that way because of her different perspective. The same thing goes with parents who disagree about whether something is coddling or teaching independence to a child.  After taking factors like these into consideration, I believe parents should find a middle ground, making sure that their child is kept safe, but also leaving them room to grow into independent adults. Children should or shouldn't be coddled depending on the situations, topics, ideas, actions, etc. inside of their age group or maturity level, otherwise, the child could potentially end up in danger, confused, or misinterpreting what's at hand. A child who is protected or restricted their entire life could have difficulties as an adult because of utter inexperience on how to handle certain situations alone. On the other hand, a child who grew up with complete independence could also experience trouble when making decisions completely on their own. All cases between parent and child are different, and I believe it all has to do with finding that middle ground so there's a balance between coddling and independence.

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I think modern kids are extremely coddled. I’ve heard many stories from my parents about how they used to go outside and go to their friends house or walk to the store meanwhile today most kids can’t step outside their house without being supervised. I understand that maybe it’s because of the amount of child kidnapping there’s been and murders happening but according to the article we read yesterday the world is a lot safer than it was in the past. The only reasons we learn more about child kidnappings and murders is because of the internet. The internet lets these events arrive to every single parent all around the earth so it scares parents which makes them coddle their kids. There are times where kids should be coddle though. Sometimes in places where you know bad things are bound to happen there should be a bit of supervision and even if it isn’t the parent physically being there with you and watching over you, the kid should at least have a app on there phone like life 360 which lets them know where exactly there kid is. There are instances where coddling can be harmful to children though. When kids ask there parents about why they can’t go out their parents will give them the reason about how the outside world is dangerous. This will scare kids into not wanting to go out which can be harmful when they grow up and they don’t know what the real worlds like. Kids should be able to do something’s freely and not be extremely coddled by their parents.