Moral framework

This idea is to have the courage to say no when there aren’t years of research to support your stance. For most of human history, that is what we have done. We didn’t have studies on parenting or the best way to raise a child. You looked at the landscape, you saw what other parents did, perhaps you had a discussion, but more often than not, you went with a gut feeling.

Recently, I came across this friction point: Do you allow a child to bring a comfort toy to school to deal with anxiety? The answer was an emphatic No. In our circumstances, we believed the best way to parent wasn’t to take a step back. Honestly, it felt like relying on a binki. This is not to shame the other parents who make this choice. Each child is different. And each family dynamic is different. I do think we are at an interesting intersection here. When we keep removing friction points for our children to overcome, when it is time for them to become adults, how will they ever have practiced this?

The opportunity to practice dealing with anxiety is right now. Perhaps the next revolution is for parents to stand up and say, “Enough is enough.”