Are American Kids Spoiled Rotten?
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The latest spate of parenting books reflects what one writer calls "the nagging sense we haven't raised our children to be competent." On this archived edition of To the Point, is it just the "generation gap" all over again or legitimate concern about the harsh realities of the current economy? Also, what will Obamacare look like without Republican governor cooperation? On Reporter's Notebook, .why are America's discarded Christmas lights recycled in China?
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Making News
Can Obamacare Survive without GOP Governor Cooperation? ()
Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act, survived Congress, the US Supreme Court and the November election. Can it survive the obstructive tactics of 30 Republican governors? Jennifer Haberkorn reports on healthcare for Politico.
Guests:
- Jennifer Haberkorn: Politico, @jenhab
Main Topic
Are American Kids Spoiled Rotten? ()
A recent issue of the New Yorker magazine contains the comment: "With the exception of the imperial offspring of the Ming dynasty and the dauphins of pre-revolutionary France, contemporary American kids may represent the most indulged young people in the history of the world." Too many toys, too few chores and mothers and fathers who doubt their own authority: is "parental hysteria" producing "a nation of wimps?" Why are so many college graduates going back home instead of venturing into the job market and building their own families? Is it time to give up "helicopter parenting" and leave kids alone so they can learn to fend for themselves, or is the millennial generation facing a historic transformation in what it takes to become a successful adult and maintain roots in the middle class?
Guests:
- Elizabeth Kolbert: New Yorker, @NewYorker
- Hara Estroff Marano: Psychology Today, @PsychToday
- Stephanie Coontz: Council on Contemporary Families, @CCF_Families
- Steven Mintz: Columbia University
Links:
- Kolbert on kids 'ruling the roost'
- Marano's 'A Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive Parenting'
- Mintz's 'Huck's Raft: A History of American Childhood'
- Mintz's 'Domestic Revolutions: A Social History of American Family Life'
- UCLA study on responsibility in childhood (Carolina Izquierdo)
- Marano on colleges seeing an increase in students with mental illness
Reporter's Notebook
Shijiao, China: Where Broken Christmas Lights Go to Die ()
Americans buy millions of Christmas tree lights every year -- and throw them away as soon as one burns out. For companies in China, that’s creating an opportunity that's almost like panning for gold. A single strand of burned-out Christmas lights weighs almost nothing. So imagine how many strands make up the 20 million pounds of American Christmas lights China recycles every year. That’s the subject of a recent article by Adam Minter in the Atlantic magazine.
Guests:
- Adam Minter: Bloomberg World View, @AdamMinter
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