Over Parenting Julie Lythcott Hams Summary

Not everyone is lucky in this world with great parents to care for them. People may not always know how great their parents are and take them for granted. A good parent is someone who will you whenever you need them and will love you no matter the situation.

A parent with a college education is more beneficial to a child’s learning than a parent without a college education. That is what the professor in the Center for the Study of Higher Education at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia; Margaret A. Miller seems to believe. Miller was also the editor-in-chief of the magazine, Change (Margaret A. Miller). An essay she wrote, “The Privileges of Parents,” was published in the January-February 2008 issue of her magazine. Before Miller expresses her beliefs, she quotes a famous folk saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” This quote engages the audience and makes them intrigued and ready to hear (or read) what Miller has to say. The essay stems from the disagreement between Paul Barton and Anthony Carnevale on the need the economy has for college-educated workers and their agreement on the benefits that flourish from an individual obtaining a college education becoming an essay about the benefits a child has when they have a college-educated parent. Those are two effective ways to get a person’s attention because everyone knows that saying, everyone in her audience

Over the past thirty years or so parents have begun to take more time to nurture their children by keeping a watchful eye on them. Unfortunately, a watchful eye has come to mean an extreme hawk eye for almost every waking moment of the day. Many parents have become too involved in their children’s lives which is seen as a good thing by society because “failure to supervise has become, in fact, synonymous with failure to parent” (Rosin). However, it is not good for a child to be overprotected, which is what the article, Hey! Parents, Leave Those Kids Alone. by Hanna Rosin explores. I believe that over parenting is causing children to be less prepared for the real world as they get older because they lack the creativity, independence, and courage

Anisha Reid, a twenty-three year old, African American woman, born July 30, 1992 and raised up north in Trenton, New Jersey to Tina and Richard. The youngest of thirteen children. Graduated high school from Trenton Central High School in June 2010. Presently enrolled at the University of West Georgia to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.

Starting middle school challenges any kid transitioning into a teenager. Simple small changes like going from cubbies to lockers excite students. Bigger changes like transitioning from one all day class to six individual classes and pluses and minuses to letter grades can leave some students shell-shocked with new responsibilities. I remember the struggle I had keeping up with all of this in my first year. I found social studies homework especially difficult for me. I went to class and didn’t give the course work my best effort. As a result, my grades slipped to the point that I had failing grades in a few classes. I didn’t know what to do, and didn’t really want to do anything about it. I was drowning in a pool of laziness. One evening, I nearly began trembling when my mother decided she wanted to check my grades.

“Successful parenting does not just happen: parents must make a conscious effort to be active in their children 's lives by nourishing and developing their children 's talents and skills.” (Spring,

Not many people know that “One in 10 [Millennials] say their parents have accompanied them to job interviews and 3% of recent college graduates report that their parents have actually sat in on the interview” (Stahl). This is a product of overparenting which impairs the growth of children. A great example of overparenting gone too far is Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. In this play Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, Thinks that he is doing the best for her by choosing that she will marry a man named Paris. He does not ask her if she wants marry Paris at all. Little does he know this leads to her demise. When an overprotective parent tries to help their children by making decisions for them, it is hurting the children more than helping. Because

Many immigrants came to this land of prosperity and the land of freedom to give their kids a better life and education. “ I brought you to this country now, do something with it.” (from the article The American Dream Lives On by Yasmina Shaush). I understood this quote because my parents also brought my siblings and myself to get a better education and I plan to do so, to make them proud.

According to Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell, it is important for parents to be continuously involved in their child’s academics. Not just in assistance with their studies, but also with transportation to and from school activities and constant communication on school activities. Gladwell went on to explain that there is a distinct difference between economic status of the family. He explains that parents in a lower economic status rely solely on the school for their children 's education. They do not agree that they have a responsibility to go over homework or assist their children at home. If their child does poorly in school they will blame the teacher for not doing their job. In contrast, parents apart of a higher social class tend to be more involved in their child’s school work resulting in high expectations of their children 's success in the classroom. Children become more self driven and motivated to complete their assignments and pass classes in hopes of not disappointing their parents. From my own experience, my parents have always been involved in my school activities. This not only has assisted me in the learning process, but also taught me assertiveness and confidence. Every friday I am obligated to, by Mrs. Rybak, email my parents a progress report of what I accomplished in school that week and every week either one or both of my parents respond. They

Parents play a major role in a child’s life. Parents affect how their child behaves and who they become as they grow older. The ideal parent should be an attentive listener, have a positive attitude and love their child unconditionally.

A newer sociological concept, helicopter parenting, revolves around millennial students and the close, dependent relationships they have with their parents and grandparents. These are parents/grandparents who are actively involved in their child’s education, even at the collegiate level. This desire to micro-manage a child’s actions and decisions comes from the growing societal emphasis to achieve professional success. Professional success now being defined as excelling through high school and proceeding to an elite ivy league college with no “pit-stops” along the way for free-play and relaxation. This narrow definition of success expects children to perform at very high academic levels, which their parents/grandparents push them harder and

Margaret Miller article “The Privileges of the Parents” invalidates Paul Barton and Anthony Carnevale main ideas from their articles. Barton and Carnevale focus on the benefits that accrue to individuals from having a college education. Miller’s purpose focuses on the fact that children who have highly educated parents are more likely to have a bigger vocabulary or superior critical thinking skills than children who has parents with just a high school degree. Miller uses the rhetorical triangle which includes logic, emotion, and the writer. It can further be broken down into fallacies, tone, evidence, and authority. She presents an argument through her style, tone, and evidence that the more highly educated the parents, the higher the grades of their children.

It is difficult to calculate how greatly the status of being undocumented has impacted my life. I was ten years old when my family and I immigrated to the United States. My parents have worked multiple jobs so my siblings and I could have a chance at a better future than they did. Even after thirteen years in the U.S. – I still overhear my parents’ conversations about deportations. Like many other undocumented immigrants, I was living in the shadows and living in constant fear of deportation. I was afraid, but thought that if I studied hard enough, I could become an exception. As a result, my strong work ethic became a personal quality that is important to me.

Ronald Reagan was one of the greatest leaders of today’s modern world. He possessed many qualities that positively influenced the people around him. Leadership and drive were only two characteristics that made him such an influential man. I retain these same two qualities that will hopefully, one day, make me as great of a leader as Reagan was to his people.

The author is, Dr. Laura Markham and according to her website, she, “creates Aha! moments for parents of kids from babies through teens. She trained as a Clinical Psychologist at Columbia University, but she's also a mom, so she understands kids -- and parents!” She seems like a credible source for information, but as a parent can have her own personal biases on the subject.