I agree. I think it is the growth in narcissism of the contemporary parent AND the incredible money made by many entities off the cultivation of maternal guilt, anxiety and insecurity that fuels these studies and obsessions.
Parents of both genders have worked hard for survival for eons and did NOT focus attention on them in the quantity that contemporary science and culture appear to imagine is necessary. Children spent much more time with other children (outdoors doing physical activities, which brings to mind another problem, but I won't digress.) My daughter is by all accounts fairly healthy and well-adjusted. People have said to me in so many words "You are such a crazy workaholic. But your kid is so happy and normal." I think a combination of my emotional availability, a relatively amicable divorce and my use of the cell phone to stay in touch with her when she was at her dad's had something to do with it. Technology can be a help too,. Can't we just be good enough? Most of us apparently are. Nancy Melucci (in Kansas City) Long Beach City College Long Beach CA -----Original Message----- From: Jim Clark <[email protected]> To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) <[email protected]> Sent: Thu, Jun 10, 2010 8:27 am Subject: Re: [tips] Does Being Plugged In Means You Ignore Your Kids? Hi It is amazing that earlier generations of children survived with daddy at work rom morning to night and mommy slaving away in the kitchen and rest of the ouse to keep the home fires burning! Is it not probably the case that children oday generally have far more contact with their parents than was historically rue? Also, the study showed a difference in parent-child talk between device n and device off conditions ... did it say anything about proportion of time arents naturally spend in on and off conditions? And besides, kids will be etting back as soon as they are old enough for their own electronic devices. The research community cannot seem to make up its mind about whether ontemporary parents are neglecting their kids (this study) or are too intrusive n their kid's lives (helicopter parents studies). Best wishes im ames M. Clark rofessor of Psychology 04-786-9757 04-774-4134 Fax [email protected] >>> "Mike Palij" <[email protected]> 10-Jun-10 6:07:34 AM >>> n interesting article in the NY Times on the patterns of nteraction between parents and children when parents are pending more and more time attending to their communication evices (i.e., cell phones, computers, etc.) then to their children. he article starts with an example of a parent and a child at n elevator where the mother is paying attention to her Blackberry hile the child tries to get her to attend to him. After failing o get her attention, the child bites her on the leg. Good stuff! See: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/garden/10childtech.html?th&emc=th Does this mean a new category of child negligence will be reated, that is, "electronic child neglect"? -Mike Palij ew York University [email protected] -- ou are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. o unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a891720c9&n=T&l=tips&o=3007 or send a blank email to leave-3007-13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a89172...@fsulist.frostburg.edu -- ou are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. o unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=12993.aba36cc3760e0b1c6a655f019a68b878&n=T&l=tips&o=3009 r send a blank email to leave-3009-12993.aba36cc3760e0b1c6a655f019a68b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=3017 or send a blank email to leave-3017-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
