# 3 Soph Journal for the Third Quarter: Superkids! (The Unpardonable Sin)
Parents Gone Too Far?
Nathaniel Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter explored the danger to mankind of "science gone too far" in the character of the retired botanist who created an Edenic prison for his flower-child daughter by separating her (with poison) from the real world. Sound unlikely? Not if you understand the symbolism of the allegory.Check out this link at Dr. Phil.com that contains three articles (and links to many others) that detail real examples of parents just as obsessive as Dr. Rappaccini. Do parents like these also imbue their children with "poison" that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for them to live in the real world? These articles date back to 2005. Since the explosion of reality television and the Internet, I bet that you can provide even more examples of parents who push their children to perfection competing in the areas of academics, athletics, performing arts, and pageants.
Research to find a real-life story of "parents gone too far" in their obsessive quest to raise a "Superkid."
Summarize the details of the story, and then tell Schoolsville whether you agree, disagree, or recommend caution with the actions of these pushy parents.
This is your THIRD and FINAL journal for the marking period. Post before TUESDAY'S class. They are the stock character, your communion with nature experience, and this one.
Print your three journal responses to turn in for a final grade on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25.
posted by JTF @ 1:34 PM
38 comments
38 Comments:
Some parents take parenting a little too far, and one example is the parents of a 19 year old girl in Oregon. Her parents decided to move into her apartment with her when she went to college. Although the 19 year old girl says she feels independent still, I strongly disagree with this parenting. Even though a lot of parents want to be with their child and protect them, the kid needs to learn how to be independent and how to survive in the real world by herself. The parents should take good care of their kids, but not be their shadow in everything they do. I think that the crazy, overprotective parents who follow their child everywhere are setting their child up for a bad life in the future. Kids should learn to thrive on their own, without their parents following their every move. For some parents, it is hard to let go and let their child go off on his or her own, but it's for the kid's own good. Although being too overprotective isn't good, the opposite is bad too. If the parents don't really care what their child does at an early age, they will end up badly when they get older, or even when they get to their teen years. I think that the perfect balance between protective and laid back is a good way to be as a parent. My parents are a perfect mix, and I will be like that as well when I have kids.
A parent's job is to help you and be there for you. But nowadays that gets driven to the extreme. Parents will do anything to help their child succeed, and they will not let anyone make their child unsuccessful. Robert Sanfilipino's ten year old son was kicked off of his baseball team after a poor performance. Sanfilipino decided to fight this injustice by creating a perfect baseball team to take down his son's former coach. He spent over fifty thousand dollars to recruit and train the team. He advertised the team in the paper to other kids who were cut "who wish to enjoy the sweet fruit of reprisal from the tree of revenge." The name of the team was Long Island Vengeance. Sanfilipino would stake out the former coach's home. He would even take picture of their family activities such as his wife walking their son to the bus. Sanfilipino would send these photos to the coach along with threats to kidnap his son from a disposable phone. However the messages were traced and Sanfilipino was arrested for harassment. I find this story to be completely insane. Although this was a very extreme case, there are parents who have similar actions and opinions to these, just do not commit crimes. Parents are so quick to judge their child's teachers and coaches instead of the parents. Although it may have been wrong for the coach to kick Sanfilipino's son off of the team, resorting to such drastic measures for revenge is ridiculous. The father should have just signed his son up for another team, or helped him get better by training him or sending him to a camp. I think Sanfilipino's son would rather not play baseball than have a father in jail for 'sticking up' for him.
In "Dance Moms: Perfection Worth the Price," the wild world of Dance Moms is exploited. It relays how the mothers are obsessed with perfect daughters and only want the best training for them. They send their daughters to Abby Lee Dance Company, where missing one practice could lower their chances of placing at the typical, weekend competitions. They travel all over the U.S. every weekend to attend competitions, in order to keep the ALDC name at the top as the number one school in America. Each week the girls return from the competition and, with cameras rolling, Abby Lee dehumanizes the girls and ranks them in a pyramid based on their performance at the competition. Their mothers argue and scream at each other, in order to make sure their daughter is the star dancer. A restraining order has even been sent by Abby Lee to one of the mothers because of their arguing with other parents to get their daughter a spot on the world-renown team. The article exemplifies the seriousness and strictness that mothers make their children go through to be great dancers. I do not agree with the obsession some parents have over their children. The parents are making their children rely on them to defend and protect them, so they will never fully grow. When they go to college, they will be lost without their parents' help. It is okay to want your child to be great, but only if your child wants that too. Parents should not raise their child to be a "super kid" because they need to let them find themselves. If they discover something they love, they will work hard enough to be great at it. Having an overbearing parent would do nothing but stress the child out. Being trained to be a "super kid" at such a young age can even make them miss out on a childhood.
I read the article "6 People Who Took Overprotective Parenting Way Too Far" by Chris Fox. This article had six incredibly overprotective parent stories, but number three really jumped out for me. This section of the article talked about how parents still manage their children's lives after they move out. One mother planned out every hour of her son's lives when they were in college, including sending them their homework assignments every night, and giving them a wake up call in the morning. She would also read their emails and their bank account balances. Other parents involve themselves further in their kid's future is by getting involved in their job search. Parents will contact businesses and promote their children. Some parents will even attend interviews with their kids and try to negotiate their terms of hire for them. I believe that this form of parenting is insane. If a parent basically runs their child's life up until and even after college, then they are setting them up for failure later in life. At some point parents need to let go and allow their children to live their lives. They need their own experiences and find their own path. No one can shelter someone else from the world forever, and the longer you try, the more unprepared they become for what's expected of them at that time. Some parents just need to step back and let go. This article was almost humorous to read because of how insane some parents really can be. This form of parenting hurts kids more than it helps them I the long run.
Alana Thompson, or “Honey Boo Boo,” is an ex-pageant girl from McIntyre, Georgia. Her first appearance, at age six, brought her great fame and was the footage of her beauty pageant on the TV series Toddlers and Tiaras. Honey Boo Boo’s mom, whom she refers to as “Mama June,” has greatly shaped Alana’s opinion on what her future should be and constantly pushed her to continue participating in the pageants. Honey Boo Boo has said that “beauty pageants are boring,” but whenever she drank her “go-go juice” she was full of energy to dance or be pretty. Mama June, on the other hand, seemed to really enjoy the beauty pageants because she got to coach Honey Boo Boo from the audience and choreographed her dance routines. Mama June took much pride in seeing her daughter “show some tummy” to the judges and at the end of her performance shouted, “Shake your butt, baby.” The go-go juice that she forces Alana to drink – “Take two big sips baby.” – consists of Red Bull and Mountain Dew, and it pumps her up a lot better than “pageant crack” (Pixie Sticks). Mama June has instilled in her daughter that she could live a life full of pageants and sustain herself by extreme couponing. In the beauty pageant documented by Toddlers and Tiaras, Honey Boo Boo told the judges and audience that when she grows up she wants to coupon like her hoarding mother. Recently, Honey Boo Boo has starred in her reality TV show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, but she is constantly overshadowed by her attention-hungry mother and sisters. I personally believe that the pageants are disgusting because parents like Mama June exploit their kids and force them to perform for judges. It was very inappropriate to watch the six year-old Honey Boo Boo being told to expose herself and demonstrate the modern overtness of sexual expression. I am also completely against Honey Boo Boo’s go-go juice because it is extremely unhealthy for her, and parents should not be encouraging their children to take anything for stimulation.
Dr. Phil interviewed a mother, April, who wants her children to become famous actors and athletes. She refuses to listen to what her children want and often lectures them and argues with their coaches over issues. Her daughter says that she usually feels embarrassed when her mother yells at her during a game and that it makes her want to quit the sport. Her son feels that he is only acting to make his mother pleased and resents not being able to make his own choices in life. Dr. Phil told April that this pushy parenting is a way for her to get attention and that it is preventing her children from developing their own internal motivation.
I agree that parents should not force their children to commit their lives to something, but I do believe parents have the right to make their kids do some sort of activities overall. If parents don't push their kids to do anything then they might not get involved in any activities or sports. Their is a certain line that parents pass if they force their child to do something they hate and push them to keep doing it because it's what the parent wants. If parents live out their lives and goals through their children then they are not parenting correctly in my opinion. Overall, there is a great amount of caution concerning what parents should and should not do to get their children involved. Parents should always make sure that their children enjoy what they are doing and do not feel forced into doing it.
I chose to write about the story of Todd Marinovich. Marvin Marinovich, Todd's father, wanted to create the perfect NFL quarterback by training Todd since he was just a little toddler. By the time Todd was ten years old, his father forced him to run ten miles every day, work out for at least two hours every day, and allowed him to eat only the diet to which his father prescribed him. Todd's father never let him hang out with his friends as a kid, which led to Todd having a social problem. Todd went on to start quarterback as a freshman at Mater Dei, a national high school football powerhouse. After Mater Dei, Todd attended the University of Southern California, which is one of the best college football programs in the country. With Todd's new found freedom away from his father, he developed a serious cocaine problem which would lead to the eventual end of his football career. Although Todd was still doing cocaine, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders and played two years in the NFL. After he failed his third random drug test, his career in the NFL was over. He then played in the Canadian Football League where he injured his knee in practice and was introduced to heroin. Following that knee injury and new found addiction to heroin, his football career was over for good. In my opinion, I disagree with the actions of these pushy parents. I think that the best way to raise a kid is to allow them to make their own choices and to let them enjoy their childhood.
In the article I read it was about a set of parents who were gearing up their 8 month old to be the next sports super star. They did things like give him a name that would sound good when sports-casters announced it. Also, they would read him NBA books to expose him to it. The baby is always dressed in sports apparel. He is involved in tumbling classes already to help develop his coordination. People are constantly questioning if parents like this are going to far. First off, with the name people name their kid Apple and North so he should be lucky with his name JJ. I think it's good for parents to have big dreams for their kids. So many parents work on just letting their kids be so they will be happy. After looking at some of my classmates who are not involved in anything I feel bad for them. As much as sometimes I hate the cold practices and staying at school till late I wouldn't trade it for anything. You get to be young once in your life, why not shoot for success? I'm not gonna look back and remember the shot I missed or the time I tripped, I'm gonna remember the game winning header and all the friends I made. I think pushing your kid shows them how much heart they really have. As long as you let your kids have time to be kids and do what they love a little extra push doesn't hurt.
In article number two, “Superkid”, the parents, Deandra and Steve, believe their child, a twenty-two month old child named Madelyn, is a “superkid”. Because of this belief, the parents put her on a strict diet. She is a vegan and she cannot have refined sugar. The parents have spent thousands of dollars on making sure there child becomes the prodigy they believe she is destined to be. They are paying for her to have swimming lessons. spanish lessons, and sign language lessons. They payed to make sure their house is free of any traces of mold and mildew. They have added a water purification system, not only for Madelyn’s drinking water, but for her bathing water as well. Also they own every episode of “Baby Einstein's”. Her mother works on Madelyn’s counting everyday, and she is teaching Madelyn how to play the piano. David sleeps on the couch every night, while Madelyn and Deandra share a bed. They also refuse to immunize Madelyn. At twenty-two months, Madelyn is still breastfed and David wants to get a faux breast plate for himself so he may also breast feed her. They have also forbidden the Grandparents from watching her because they believe the Grandparents, who do not believe this is right, will “sneak behind our backs” and do something that the parents have forbidden. However, a pediatrician says that Madelyn is well fed and extremely healthy. The only concern is her hight and weight which are in the fifth percentile for her age. I disagree with most of the stances these parents are taking. It is important to immunize a baby because their immune system is not as strong and they could get very sick. Also Madelyn’s schedule is too extreme for a young child. Madelyn also needs to learn to fall asleep on her own, and according to David, loosing time with his wife at night is putting a strain on their relationship. It is important for a child to grow up in a healthy environment. I do believe that the diet is the parent’s decision and since Madelyn is healthy, that they made the right choice there.
After reading a particular article about a couple who raise thier child to be perfect, I was a bit astonished at how far they will go to ensure that their daughter is raised correctly, properly, and safely. A married couple, David and Deandra, have a 22-month old daughter named Madelyn. To ensure that she is healthy, the couple put her on a vegan-diet, and keep her away from refined sugar. Ever since she was born, David and Deandra have played Baby Einstein tapes for Madelyn, in hopes of her becoming a "super kid." Madelyn is taken to swimming and gymnastics lessons and is taught Spanish and sign language. Deandra also refuses to give her any immunizations. The couple is also jeopardizing their marriage by spending all of their time focused on their daughter. They do not even sleep in the same bed. Deandra sleeps with Madelyn in the bed, while David sleeps on the couch. This couple believes that a child needs to live in absolute perfect conditions in order to have a normal life.
I highly disagree with this couple and the way they raise their child. I do not understand how parents can be so overprotective of their children and still expect them to live a normal life. Living a normal life means not only excelling in school or athletics, but also trying new things. When Madelyn grows up, she is going to be exposed to so many different things that her parents cannot keep away from her. She is going to want to be like the other kids who every once in a while gets a little dirty from playing in the park or has one too many pieces of candy. When I become a parent, I would want my child to be safe, but also experience different things and be able to live his or her childhood to the fullest.
"Lori Osterberg and her husband are lifelong Denver folk, but they got restless and intended to relocate for adventure's sake once their only child left home for college." The key word in this statement is intended. Over parenting is becoming increasingly prevalent for both parents with difficulty separating and parents with gifted children. These parents are often referred to as "helicopter parents." While the Osterbergs may have intended to utilize their freedom after their daughter's graduation, they missed the memo that they were suppose to go somewhere different from their daughter. The Osterbergs moved into an apartment near to their daughter's college campus. They all live together in this "temporary" apartment. I understand why some parents may not prefer to separate completely from their children, I can not comprehend how some parents do not recognize when they are crossing a boundary. College is commonly known as an experience that a young adult has as an independent person. With parents constantly around, children to not have the same opportunity to experience their independence. Personally, I do not believe that parents are doing their children any favors when they are pushy and overly protective of them. Under no circumstances would I recommend or encourage any parents to act overly protective or pushy towards their children. I disagree with this style of parenting. I am lucky because, while my dad is protective over me, he also gives me leeway and trusts that I can do things on my own and make good choices while being independent.
Reality television has revealed to the whole world the crazy parenting tactics of some adults who try to get their kids to become the best they can be. With shows like Dance Moms and Toddlers and Tiaras everybody can now see just how awful and however many bizarre lengths some parents will go to for their children. On one specific episode of Toddlers and Tiaras one family decided that instead of owning a house or buying an apartment to pay rent for, they were going to use all of their hard earned savings on their two year old daughter, Maddi. Now, all of their money goes towards preparing Maddi for beauty pageants and buying things that will help her score more points in the show. The family lives with Maddi's grandparents so that they won't have to worry about not wasting money on rent, but on focusing on getting their toddler a meaningless crown. The circumstances as to what extent this family is going for their own child could actually be admired. Many parents go out of their way and make exceptional sacrifices so their kids can accomplish their dreams. But, Maddi is only two years old. She barely knows what's going on half of the time much less understand that her parent's are conditioning her to have an eternal pursuit for a plastic crown. What's worse than these parents' financial decisions is that these investments do not seem to be paying off. "We didn't get a crown so there is nothing to throw out the window", said Maddi's mother after her child won first-runner up in a pageant. I completely disagree with the actions of these parents. A child that is two years old should not be forced to parade around on stage and the pageants which she is in should not determine whether her family gets a home of their own. When this girl grows up and she actually starts understanding what's going on and if her parents are still acting like this she is going to be under an immense amount of pressure. When she gets older and her parents are still forcing her to do pageants and she's losing, she's going to think that they don't have their own house just because her parents want to put all of their money into her pageants.
Josephine Ling Yip Lai-sim and her husband had been pushing their fifteen year old daughter way too hard. Throughout her whole life, her parents had been pressuring her to learn piano, cello, and ballet so that she could get into a very elite school. What Josephine Ling Yip Lai-sim and her husband did not realize, what that this was causing a lot of stress on their daughter. Their daughter tried to rebel to show she was unhappy. She skipped school, did drugs, and ran away from home. Finally, she went up to the window and told her parents she was going to jump. Thankfully she did not, but it took a close encounter with death just for Josephine Ling Yip Lai-sim to realize she was making her daughter do many things she did not want to do. Instead of instruments and dance, her daughter liked the outdoors. She began rock-wall climbing and swimming. She was able to arrange her own schedule and ended up being happier in school, in just happier in life in general. I disagree with the way Josephine Ling Yip Lai-sim initially treated her daughter. When I'm a parents, I will make sure my kids are doing things they enjoy and I won't push them, just encourage them. I'm glad Josephine Ling Yip Lai-sim finally turned her parenting around so that her daughter would be happier, but I wish she would have done so sooner, or the near suicide attempt never would have happened.
Most celebrities attempt to make their children the “next big thing” by having them model in ads and raise them to do so. One of the best examples of this is the daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, North West. The couple recently had their one-year old posing for CR Fashion Book wearing Chanel fashion, which is something her mother would do. I don’t agree with these practices being carried out by these celebrities. The way these families are functioning it’s like the children don’t really have a say with what their lives are going to be. In a way it’s like the parents are forcing their children into fame as soon as possible without giving them an option to live their lives the way they want to live them.
"My Kids Have to be #1"
In this article mom, April, describes how she wants her kids' future to be. She says that she wants her sixteen year old son to be a famous actor and her thirteen year old daughter to be a famous softball player. Little does she know her kids do not have the same ambitions as she does for them. They enjoy acting and playing softball, but it's too early for them to tell if that is what they want to do for the rest of their lives. When her kids do not take acting and playing softball very seriously April gets upset with them because she wants them to be the best. She does not care about them having fun and enjoying themselves; she only cares that they are number one. This has resulted in her kids not wanting to be around her.
I disagree with the idea of strictly pushy parents. Parents should be the ones to support their kids with what ever they chose to do with their life no matter what. They have to trust that their kids can make their own decisions and still do the right thing at the same time. I understand that parents want their kids to be the best, but "being the best" and "doing their best" are completely different ideas. Parents should want their kids to do their best at everything they do. They should not go over the edge to push their kids to be the best at everything, it ends up being stressful instead of fun for the kids. These kinds of "pushy parents" need to realize that being a kid is about learning and having fun while everything is happening, not to be better than everyone.
I read a Dr. Phil article about a young girl who did pageants. She started pageants at a very young age and claims she loves them. The young girl, named Regan, also said that she hated them because they're so much work. Her mom, Bonnie, argued with Dr. Phil that they did pageants because Regan wanted to do them, and not for her own personal agenda. However, Dr. Phil was not convinced. I think that these parents are crazy. Anyone who subjects their one year old child to being judged based on her looks is crazy. Normal children do not ask for braces at 18 months old, but Regan did. Her parents are worried for her safety because the parents of other girls can be feisty. They once found a dead cat with a crown on its head at their doorstep. I’m not sure how someone can continue to think that pageants are a safe environment for their child when things like that happen. Also, Regan, who was 4 at the time the article was released, slept in a bed in her parents room. She did this so none would try to steal her at night. Most children do not have to worry about being stolen from their beds in the middle of the night. Her parents think that she’ll continue to sleep in their room until she is about 15. As a 15 year-old girl, I doubt that will happen, but you never know. Parents that introduce their children to pageants or dance competitions at a young age are only hurting their children for the future. I started competing for dance in fourth grade and looking at the younger kids these days, I think I might have started too young. Although pageants teach stage-presence, they also have the ability to tear apart a child’s self-esteem and confidence. I think that parents should wait until their children express interest in such things before subjecting them to the world of craziness that surrounds them.
Many parents in the recent years have become very strict and go too far in their push to raise "child prodigies." I think in the Dr. Phil article, the 22-month-old Madelyn was being pushed too hard by the parents. They bought her educational videos. did not allow her to be vaccinated, and kept her on a strict vegan diet. She was not living the life that children her age should, and I think that her parents were being too strict with her. In more recent events, children are being pushed into various competitions or pageants. When researching about this topic, I found an article about a show called "Cheer Perfection" that explained how a mother bribed her daughter with $1,000 to get her to work harder in a cheer competition. The mothers yelled at their children if they broke form or messed up a cheer. The children admitted that they felt pressured and were afraid of getting in trouble if they didn't meet the expectations of their mother. If the girls hit their head on the ground when they fell, their mothers, instead of showing concern and seeing if they were injured, became angry and upset with them for failing the cheer. Parents like these were forcing their children through such competitions so they could live out their own childhood dreams through their children, despite the fact that some of the children were pushed to participate when they didn't want to. I disagree with parents pushing their children like this, and I think the children should choose what they want to do and how much effort they put into the activity. I think these parents pushed their children too far in order to make them into the "Superkids" that they desired.
In this article, two parents go to the extreme to raise a perfect child. David and Deandra wanted to raise a “superkid” from the start, and that’s exactly what they did. David and Deandra have a child named Madelyn who is 22-months-old and is already very advanced. As a 22-month-old child, Madelyn is learning sign language and Spanish. David and Deandra have spent thousands of dollars on Madelyn so the conditions she lives in are purified and refined. Madelyn is also learning how to play the piano and is also taking swimming lessons. Madelyn’s parents even come out and state that their child is much more advanced then other children of her age. Even on top of all these actions, David and Deandra put her on a diet that does not call for any animal products or processed sugar. Madelyn’s father, David has even thought about getting an artificial breastplate so that he can breastfeed Madelyn. Also, Deandra has kicked her husband out of the bed so that Madelyn can sleep there with her for the proper care. The parents have also decided to not immunize her because they believe there are animal ingredients in them. After reading this article I disagree with the actions of these parents. I believe that these parents have gone way over the top with many of their actions. David and Deandra should let Madelyn grow up like every other child and learn at her own pace. Another reason I don’t agree is because when Madelyn gets older she may have a hard time separating from her parents and interacting with others. While these other decisions by the parents are mostly specific to Madelyn, the decision to not immunize had societal impact and life threatening. The material Madelyn is learning is way to advanced for her age and takes over her normal playtime. Overall I completely disagree with these actions by the parents and would never partake in these actions if I have a child.
Many parents see themselves in their own children. It's almost as if they see their children as themselves. Some parents go so far that they try to live their own dreams through their child. They do this because they want to make up for their failed dreams. Sometimes the parent may even prevent the child from pursuing their own dream just so they parent can see their's fulfilled. This theory is showing in the story of Judy Murray and her children Jamie and Andy Murray. Judy Murray is currently captain of the British Fed Cup team. She is also a Scottish tennis coach. When she was younger she was a professional and very accomplished tennis player. Murray won 64 Scottish titles during her career. In 1976 she during her professional tour she was stuck with home sickness and stopped her tour. This ended her professional career. Later Murray got married to her husband Willie Murray. Together they had two children Andy and Jamie. Since her children were able to walk she had they play tennis. She was each of her sons' personal coaches until they reached higher levels of competition. Once their professional career was in view her sons were coached by some of the top coaches in the world. Even though she was no longer their coach, in professional matches she is always seen on the sidelines cheering them on and supporting them. In many way this circumstance is looked at the parent living her failed dream of being a great professional tennis player in her child. She is the one who pushed each of her kids from an early age to succeed in the sport of tennis. I disagree with this parent's decisions because I feel that a child should be able to participate in whatever sports and activities they show interest in. It is the child's life not the parent's.
Most parents let their kids grow up without too much unnecessary help. Yet, some mothers and fathers go too far and will not allow anything to prevent their child from being the best. In the article "6 People Who Took Overprotective Parenting Way Too Far," the story detailed the fourth section caught my attention. One mother, Catherine Venusto, who was a secretary at her daughter's school, used the superintendent's username and password to log on to the school's grade system and change her child's grades. She even continued to do this when she left her job at the school to go work for another employer. I disagree with Venusto's actions. It is clear that she did this because she wanted her daughter to get ahead. She could not control herself and allow her child to achieve honest grades. Her unjust actions were unfair to her daughter and unfair to the other children in the school. Her child was getting credit that she did not deserve, while others did not get special treatment. She set a bad example for her daughter about not being truthful, which could affect her in the future. Venusto could have taken other actions to help her child though school (e.g., tutoring), but she chose an easy and untruthful way instead. When her actions were discovered, imagine the repercussions they had on her daughter. The grades would now be corrected (to the extent they could be), and her child would now view her mother, who should be her role model, as someone who is unjust. Overall, I feel that Venusto's actions hurt her daughter more than helped her.
Every parent wants their child to be successful, but some parents take it too far. Pageant mom Lindsay Jackson is an excellent example. Lindsay is banned from entering her daughter in pageants and is currently in a court battle for the custody for her daughter Maddy, five. Lindsay rose controversy after she dressed Maddy as Dolly Parton for a pageant that was shown on TLC's Toddlers and Tiaras. That doesn't sound that bad, its a costume for a pageant, right? It would just be that, but Maddy's mom also added curves, which her ex husband believed is sexually exploiting their child. He has petitioned for full custody of the child, but the mother won primary residential custody, with both parents having joint legal custody. Lindsay has also put Maddy back in pageantry. I disagree with his mother and pretty much pageantry as a whole, especially at the level shown on Toddlers and Tiaras. This mother was exploiting her five-year-old daughter by showing her with fake 'curves'. Toddlers and Tiaras shows mothers exploiting their kids in many ways. Their costumes, make up, hair, and even spray tans makes five and six year olds look eighteen. They fill their kids up with pixie stix, red bull, and other energy drinks to get them through the long pageant day. I don't agree with or support what Lindsay and other parents put their children through for a few crowns.
In today's world, many parents want their children to achieve great things in their lifetime, be it sports, music, or academics. However, some parents go too far to make their child a virtuoso at their talent of choice, often against their child's will. One such instance of this happening is evidenced in the country of China, where parents want their children to become amazing Olympic athletes. On the television series Taboo on the National Geographic channel, camera crews documented the life of an eleven-year-old boy who lived at a year-round camp for gymnastics. He was sent there by his parents at the age of four. His parents, like all of the other children's parents attending this rigorous camp, want badly that their child become an Olympic gymnast. The children who attend this camp have only half the amount of school time as other children in China, and spend the other four hours of the day following lunch in the gym, where they train brutally for the rest of the day. They are awoken at six in the morning, immediately go on a long run, then receive cafeteria food for breakfast, nothing like their mom's cooking. However, even after sending their children to train in gymnastics at this school, there is no guarantee that their child will be an Olympic athlete. These parents sacrifice their child, the only one they will have, given China's one-child policy, and their child's entire childhood by sending them to this camp
Almost every parent wants what is best for their kids. However, some times, in an effort to get a child to grow up into a successful adult, things can be taken too far. This is true for the case of one couple, who are raising their daughter Madelyn to be a super child. This couple forbids their 22 month old daughter from eating any animal produced food product, with the exception of human breast milk. She sleeps in the same bed as her mother and she takes lessons in Spanish and other things such as musical instruments. The degree of strictness with witch madelyn is raised is disturbing. Though I do not think Madelyn is being abused, the way her parents are raising her has both scientific an moral fualts. From a moral standpoint, trying to get your child to be a perfect human seems selfish. Obviously a parent wants his or her child to succeed but he leangths Madylins paremts go to in order to ensure that she is successful are extreme. I feel as though te parents are using this child simply as an object to boast. Her grandparents are opposed t the way she s raosed an I can see why. Also, the methods they use to ensure her duaghters perfect don't make any scientific sense. I don't know why a vegan diet would produce a better breed of human and althugh a maternal influence is helpful for a child I question weather or not it is necessary to breast feed her at that age.
In the article "Superkid" David and Deandra are trying to raise their 22 month old daughter to be a "superkid" of some kind. so far the parents have spent a boat load of time, money, and hard work to give Madelyn everything she needs in order to be healthy, and smart. The parents have bought several Baby Einstein videos, have her enrolled in Spanish and sign language, gymnastics, swimming, and piano class. Madelyn is being raised as a vegan too. Because of this, she has not been immunized. The parents do not want to do that because the immunization has animal products in it. The grandparents do not agree with the decision not to immunize Madelyn because they think it could endanger her when she gets exposed to the real world. Deandra is also unhappy with the grandparents because she thinks they will go behind her back to "sabotage" the lifestyle of Madelyn. Later in the article, David and Deandra admit ti having relationship issues and marriage trouble. Dr. Phill points out to them that Madelyn will not have good childhood if the parents are in disconnect. Dr. Phill also tells them that one day Madelyn will go out to play and someone might hit her. Deandra says that she is scared that might happen. The biggest problem that Dr. Phill points out is that the parents are depriving Madelyn of social skills. He says that she will get older and there will be a lack of competence. She will not no how to handle herself because the mother did everything for her.
In the second article of Dr. Phil’s study of “super kids”, a young girl named Madelyn is featured. Her family, is shown trying to make the perfect child, or “super kid”. They are very open about it too. For example, David, the father, spoke about his ideas. He said they have purchased thousands of dollars worth of Little Einstein’s videos. They invested in high tech water filters and mold and mildew removal to make the home extra safe. They force Madelyn to take piano lessons, swimming classes, and gymnastics. She is being trained in sign language, and is learning Spanish. Madelyn’s parents, Deandra and David, also have her on a strict vegan diet, refusing her to eat any animal based products. They also refuse to get Madelyn the proper vaccinations, due to animal ingredients in some, and that they want her naturally immunized. In my opinion, these parents have gone way over the top in their methods of raising their child. The fact that she is less than two years old, and she is kept that busy doing activities too advanced for her has to be unhealthy. She is probably stressed out and overexerted. Also, the dieting is bad for her development. Kids her age need protein and vitamins in meat to properly develop their muscles. Calcium in milk and nuts are needed for proper bone growth. These parents are basically hurting their child more than helping her. That ties in with the vaccinations as well. Not immunizing Madelyn early in life puts her at extreme risk for diseases like tetanus, measles, and chicken pox. These parents think they are helping Madelyn, but in fact they are stressing her out to no end, and stunting her health and growth, under the assumption that this will create the perfect child. In my opinion, they are wrong, and their ideas are wrong, and they should change immediately, or risk many many health risks in the future for their daughter.
I read the article from Dr. Phil about two parents who are, in my opinion, over-parenting their daughter Madelyn. They do everything with her and for her. They have a very strict diet for her, she is a vegan, and can't eat refined sugar or any animal products. They also have a water purifier so she drinks and bathes in the cleanest water possible. These outrageous parents are having her learn Spanish and sign language as well and she is only 22 months old. She also takes swimming lessons and gymnastics. Madelyn sleeps with her mother, and her father sleeps on the couch. This is an example of how crazy they are parenting her. They are messing up their relationship to make her "perfect". I agree with Dr. Phil, he said that they shouldn't be compromising their relationship for their daughter. I also agree with him, when he said that the best way to help her is to have a strong, committed, and loving set of parents. Although, nothing is technically wrong with what they are doing, they are crippling their daughter for real life. When she goes out into the real world for school she won't know how to live without her protective parents with her to tell her what to do.
Payton Applegate
Blue
"Raising a Super Kid"
Many people think they have discovered a way to be a, "perfect parent," but are they really good parents, or screwing up their child? Parents David and Deandra of 22 month old Madelyn, believe they are raising their child to be a, "super kid." They feed her a special vegan diet, bath her in pure filtered water, and have daily lessons on multiple academic subjects. Deandra continues to breastfeed her daughter and will not allow her out of sight so she may constantly protect her. The parents also refuse to vaccinate their daughter against any diseases. I feel that this is one of the worst ways possible to raise a child. Firstly, I feel that a person is born the way they are, and as mush as parents would like believe that they are the reason their kid is the way they are, they are not. Deandra and David are raising their child to have a dependence on them and with a lack of social skills. You must let a child have fun, take risks, and make friends. You're only a kid for a short time and to have the opportunity to be a kid taken away from you is a terrible thing. What they are doing to Madelyn is selfish and I believe their priorities are out of order. Also not vaccinating her is dangerous to both herself, and others by allowing diseases to spread amongst children. Being academically smart alone will not make you successful in life. You also need knowledge of the world, which Madelyn is not getting, and social skills to interact with other people. Lastly Madelyn is not being given the opportunity to be her own person. Her parents are living through her and controlling her life which makes it impossible for Madelyn to enjoy her life and one day she may possibly rebel.
I chose to write about a story of a women named Catherine Venusto. She is a mom that wanted to see her student succeed academically. When her child was failing a class or wanted a better grade, she would log into the system using a superintendent's username and password. She would change the grade to something better, even if it was already a decent grade. I do not agree with pushy parents, or changing your kid's grade at all. I believe that you can try and help your child to a certain point. The parent should be encouraging and supportive of the child's own dreams and goals and not their own. It is terrible to have a mom or dad force you to do something that you did not really want to do, even if it is with good intentions. And sometimes, the parents actually set their kids up for failure instead of helping them. I think that this could potentially harm or weaken the relationship between the family also. I think that parents should just encourage the child in their own ways and their own path. They should not try and create a set plan or path for them. If they are truly doing it out of love for them, then they should realize that they need to respect their child's own opinion.
I chose to write about a story of a women named Catherine Venusto. She is a mom that wanted to see her student succeed academically. When her child was failing a class or wanted a better grade, she would log into the system using a superintendent's username and password. She would change the grade to something better, even if it was already a decent grade. I do not agree with pushy parents, or changing your kid's grade at all. I believe that you can try and help your child to a certain point. The parent should be encouraging and supportive of the child's own dreams and goals and not their own. It is terrible to have a mom or dad force you to do something that you did not really want to do, even if it is with good intentions. And sometimes, the parents actually set their kids up for failure instead of helping them. I think that this could potentially harm or weaken the relationship between the family also. I think that parents should just encourage the child in their own ways and their own path. They should not try and create a set plan or path for them. If they are truly doing it out of love for them, then they should realize that they need to respect their child's own opinion.
Most parents let their kids grow up being too overbearing. Yet, some mothers and fathers go too far and will not allow anything to stop their child from becoming the best. I read the article "6 People Who Took Overprotective Parenting Way Too Far," the story detailed the fourth section caught my attention. One mother, Catherine Venusto, who was a secretary at her daughter's school, used the superintendent's username and password to log on to the school's grade system and change her child's grades. She even continued to do this when she left her job at the school to go work for another employer. I disagree with Venusto's actions. It is clear that she did this because she wanted her daughter to get ahead. She could not control herself and allow her child to achieve honest grades. Her unjust actions were unfair to her daughter and unfair to the other children in the school. Her child was getting credit that she did not deserve, while others did not get special treatment. She set a bad example for her daughter about not being truthful, which could affect her in the future. Venusto could have taken other actions to help her child though school, but she chose an easy and untruthful way instead. When her actions were discovered, imagine the repercussions they had on her daughter. The grades would now be corrected to some extent, and her child would now view her mother, who should be her role model, as someone who is unfair. At some point parents need to let go and allow their children to live their lives. They can't be sheltered from the world forever, and the longer you try, the more unprepared they will be for the real world. This type of parenting can also inflates their egos and sets them up to be shot down later in life. Being an overbearing parent definitely hurts your kids more than helps them.
David and Deandra are determined to make their child a well rounded person. 22 month year old Madelyn takes swimming lessons and gymnastics lessons. While doing that she is learning Spanish and sign language as well. Her parents also have her on a very strict diet; she is a vegan and does not eat any animal products. and put a water purification system in theirs house so that Madelyn can drink and bathe in clean and safe water. Madelyn sleeps in the same bed as her mom while her dad sleeps on the couch. This is damaging Deandra and David's marriage a lot. I disagree with how these parents are raising their child because Madelyn s so young. Madelyn has time when she is older to decide whats she wants to do with her life. Her parents are way too controlling and treat her more like a robot than a child. I also think that by having Madelyn be a vegan, she is missing the necessary nutrients and proteins that she needs to grow. They need to let her have fun instead of trying to cram all of this knowledge into a 2 year old's mind. Madelyn has time throughout her life to learn all of this knowledge in school. Her parents are way too protective and need to let her learn in life. Though having her learn languages and knowledge so young is good, there needs to be a limit on how much is being crammed into her head. I completely disagree with their "parenting" style.
David and Deandra are crazy obsessive over their 22-month daughter, Madelyn. They shelter Madelyn in everything in attempts of making her a superkid. Madelyn and her mother even sleep together, while her father sleeps on the couch. This separates that family. They also give her a restricted diet to follow. In addition to still breastfeeding Madelyn, Deandra feeds Madelyn an only vegetarian diet. This keeps her very sheltered. Also, David and deandraI don't even leave Madeline alone for more than two hours because they are afraid that their family will Sabotage their efforts to make her a superkid. Overall, their "super kid" will be very awkward once she gets to be a school age due to the fact that she is very sheltered and manipulated by her parents. They shelter her so much that Deandra I tend to disagree with over powering parents. I think that children should be able to do what they want to do and have the support of their parents. With this, children should respect their parents' as parents should respect their children's choices. Over all, every person should be able to make his or her own decisions and choices in life, and I don't think parents should go to extremes to make his or her dream come true because this dream is his or her's, not his or her child's dream. Parents such as these parents need to tone it down. They are overbearing, and oftentimes, their children do not even want to do what their parents are forcing them to do.
In Hawthorne's Rappaccini's Daughter, Rappaccini goes to extreme and almost cruel lengths to ensure that his daughter is set apart from common woman. Despite a parent's infinite love for their children, there are some things that, even though the intent may be good, are not healthy or beneficial to children. Dr. Phil once talked with a couple that was determined to raise a "super kid". The parents invested thousands into educational toys and DVDs as well as feeding their daughter an entirely vegan diet, which can be unhealthy for younger children. Deandra insists on raising her daughter with a parenting style she calls "attached parenting". At 22 months old, Madelyn has never been away from her mother for more than a few hours at a time. The way David and Deandra have decided to raise their daughter has caused problems in their relationship as well as with other family members. Deandra's mother believes that being overly protective of a child can hurt their development and while she would not do anything to go against the way they are raising Madelyn, she does not feel it is the best way to raise a child. As well as a completely vegan diet, Madelyn has never been vaccinated. Deandra argues that this because there are animal products in vaccines (which goes against her vegan diet) and that by getting her daughter vaccinated she would be exposing her to toxins that her body does not need. Obviously these parents love their daughter very, very much but some of the things they are doing are so extreme that they may being doing more harm than help. Such as using only filtered water. It has been proven that unfiltered tap water is beneficial because of the fluoride and various minerals in it that we usually don't get otherwise. This is an extreme case of it but all parents want what's best for their children which can result in parents that go overboard and are unable to clearly see how their constant hovering may negatively affect their children.
In our lives, we will always have goals, we will have morals and we will learn lessons. It’s inevitable that we will make mistakes that we will want to correct. However, we cannot go back in time, and achieve our goals, and relive our lives with the lessons we learned intact. So it is only natural, that when we have children, we try to pass all our knowledge and experience onto them so that they may live their lives, how we wished ours to be. That being said, we must always remember that our children are different people from ourselves, and that they will differ slightly. They will be most greatly influenced by us, and therefore we will have some similarities, but they will live different lives, and be different people. This is something that some parents don’t realize. Some parents control every aspect of their children’s lives, sometimes with good intentions, wanting only the best for their kids, however, sometimes it is for selfish reasons, such as achieving goals, which they themselves, could not. Parents do everything to put their children on top. There are many stories of parents forcing their children to do music, sports or academics, and making their children unbalanced as a result. While all these stories do apply to the “Helicopter Parents” of our world, I think there is a story that better communicates how far some parents will go. Sports, music, academics are all well and good, and for that matter, are very important skills to have, however, there are parents who decided to go all out, for something seemingly trivial: an Easter Egg hunt. In Old Colorado City, children partook in an Easter egg hunt. Their parents, had different ideas… All their parents jumped in and found the eggs and gave them to their children so that their child could win. I chose this story because it shows how insane some parents can really be. They want their child to be the top so badly that they will go as far as tampering with something as innocent as an Easter Egg hunt. This is only one example of how helicopter parents can be in our society. Personally, I think the amount of influence my parents have over me is too strong, but I think this level of control in a child’s life is awful. I think parents should offer guidance until the child is willing to make their own choices. When a child thinks they can make their own choices than you should allow them and when they are unsure of their choices they will consult you and you can give them guidance. I think it’s important to realize that many children are very mature, especially in our world today, with how awful the world is, with crime and the lack of innocence, and to survive in this world, children are far more mature than they are given credit for, and that parents should allow their children to grow up.
Pav N. Yellow
In our lives, we will always have goals, we will have morals and we will learn lessons. It’s inevitable that we will make mistakes that we will want to correct. However, we cannot go back in time, and achieve our goals, and relive our lives with the lessons we learned intact. So it is only natural, that when we have children, we try to pass all our knowledge and experience onto them so that they may live their lives, how we wished ours to be. That being said, we must always remember that our children are different people from ourselves, and that they will differ slightly. They will be most greatly influenced by us, and therefore we will have some similarities, but they will live different lives, and be different people. This is something that some parents don’t realize. Some parents control every aspect of their children’s lives, sometimes with good intentions, wanting only the best for their kids, however, sometimes it is for selfish reasons, such as achieving goals, which they themselves, could not. Parents do everything to put their children on top. There are many stories of parents forcing their children to do music, sports or academics, and making their children unbalanced as a result. While all these stories do apply to the “Helicopter Parents” of our world, I think there is a story that better communicates how far some parents will go. Sports, music, academics are all well and good, and for that matter, are very important skills to have, however, there are parents who decided to go all out, for something seemingly trivial: an Easter Egg hunt. In Old Colorado City, children partook in an Easter egg hunt. Their parents, had different ideas… All their parents jumped in and found the eggs and gave them to their children so that their child could win. I chose this story because it shows how insane some parents can really be. They want their child to be the top so badly that they will go as far as tampering with something as innocent as an Easter Egg hunt. This is only one example of how helicopter parents can be in our society. Personally, I think the amount of influence my parents have over me is too strong, but I think this level of control in a child’s life is awful. I think parents should offer guidance until the child is willing to make their own choices. When a child thinks they can make their own choices than you should allow them and when they are unsure of their choices they will consult you and you can give them guidance. I think it’s important to realize that many children are very mature, especially in our world today, with how awful the world is, with crime and the lack of innocence, and to survive in this world, children are far more mature than they are given credit for, and that parents should allow their children to grow up.
Parents these days are trying harder and harder to make their kids into the 'champions' that they could never become when they were children. I read an article about a mother and father who forced their son to play football as soon as he was old enough to run and catch a ball. The father, who is the harsher one, curses at and punishes their eleven year old son if he fails to catch a ball. When he wakes up, his father makes him run a mile in the morning, and two miles when he gets home from school. His father says that his grades are less important than football because he can get a scholarship when he is older by playing football, and that getting an academic scholarship is "for nerds". I extremely disagree with this type of parenting. It seems like these types of parents are just trying to make their children better, but I think they are going at it with the wrong approach. Not giving your child a chance to choose wether or not they want to join an athletic team and which of the hundreds of sports there are to chose from that they want to play, could be harmful to the child. Forcing a child to do something that they do not want to do, especially as they reach the teenage years, just makes them want to do the complete opposite, thats just teenage nature.
Parents these days are trying harder and harder to make their kids into the 'champions' that they could never become when they were children. I read an article about a mother and father who forced their son to play football as soon as he was old enough to run and catch a ball. The father, who is the harsher one, curses at and punishes their eleven year old son if he fails to catch a ball. When he wakes up, his father makes him run a mile in the morning, and two miles when he gets home from school. His father says that his grades are less important than football because he can get a scholarship when he is older by playing football, and that getting an academic scholarship is "for nerds". I extremely disagree with this type of parenting. It seems like these types of parents are just trying to make their children better, but I think they are going at it with the wrong approach. Not giving your child a chance to choose wether or not they want to join an athletic team and which of the hundreds of sports there are to chose from that they want to play, could be harmful to the child. Forcing a child to do something that they do not want to do, especially as they reach the teenage years, just makes them want to do the complete opposite, thats just teenage nature.
For my lit blog, I found a story on the New York Post about a mom trying to get her kids into an elite preschool. She tells the post about how her 2 1/2 year old daughter was denied permission into an elite Manhattan preschool, despite doing all of the admission procedures correctly. Since then, she has become less of a “tiger mom” and more of a parent who supports her children. I disagree with the way this mom handled her children. I think she should have just put her kids in an ordinary preschool. Her kids could have excelled in a preschool less socially challenging and more oriented around the kids care. When I have kids, I will be more concerned about them being happy than them being the best 3 year old their class. I think parents should encourage their kids instead of pushing their own dreams onto them. Many parents live vicariously through their children. Examples of this are dance moms or cheer moms. They push their kids so hard that eventually their kid ends up hating whatever sport they are involved in. This is a shame because kids should be having fun instead of stressing out about their next win or loss. My dad always said that the number one rule is having fun. I always had fun when I was little. I tried almost every sport out there. Thanks to my supportive parents I know i am free to have fun and be myself.
Post a Comment
<< Home