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It's interesting, and I agree that kids should experience risk and build judgment... however I'm skeptical of her observations re: Japan and Korea.

There are some interesting points in here, although I'm not comfortable with all of them. I just can't imagine handing a pocket knife over to my 5-year old, but we'll see...

I read this yesterday. I think it has some valid points. I don't think there is one right way to do something, but I think it is important to recognize when your choices are holding your LO back and make sure you give them.the opportunites to take risks and figure out their own problems.

Interesting perspective. I love broadening my horizons!

I'm not sure how I feel about all of it, but we definitely won't be feeding our kids non-stop all day. I kind of don't get the trend for kids to be grazing on things like cheerios all day.

I definitely agree with having kids eat what adults eat. I hate seeing "kids menus" that are nothing but fried foods, fats and carbs. Kids can like veggies, especially if they just eat them because that's what everyone is eating and a big fanfare isn't made about them.

I also think Americans tend to overstructure children's days. Even babies can play alone and entertain themselves; we don't have to stimulate them 24/7 and have so many structured "play dates.

I agree with a lot of it especially the risk and danger stuff. I studied abroad in Denmark and worked in a children's preschool, and they let the kids use real silverware, real (china) plates and cups. Nothing got broken most of the time, and if it did, the kids helped sweep up the pieces. They played on huge playground equipment and the teachers stood on the side--they didn't hover. They also went outside every single day--in Denmark, that could mean blizzard conditions and freezing! I personally think that giving kids "grown up tools" like real knives, fragile plates, etc helps teach them responsibilty and real con sequences (we throw plates, and they break). I'm not saying I'll give LO grandma's china to eat off of, but I don't plan on bubble wrapping his surroundings for him.

I read that yesterday, too, and I agree with a lot of it. Definitely hope to carry some of that through in raising D, especially with food (kids' menus are ridiculous) and not "bubble-wrapping" (as @Hilsy85 so brilliantly put it!) his world. Kids need to learn that possessions are to be taken care of, and if you break it, you a) clean it up and b) deal with the loss of that item! I'm not going to let him throw a plate, clean it up for him, then give him another one. He throws it in a fit, he helps me clean it, and then he's done eating.

I'm not sure I agree with everything she said but I definitely found myself nodding along with most of it.

@yoursilverlining: I agree.

I love a lot of what had to be said and I have been friends with (through online gaming) a lot of Finnish people. Their school system FAR surpasses ours and I really wish we could take a page out of their book. Actually, the Finnish culture in general far surpasses a lot of North American culture.

I for one am completely guilty of trying to protect my step kids from harm. I know for a fact they need to explore and hurt themselves and climb and jump and fall and skin knees. I just have the hardest time allowing it because I want to protect them.... It's something I really need to work on.

Yep. Trying to parent the way I was raised!
My parents made us eat what they ate. Co-slept and if we cried, they went to get us.
They also made us sleep and nap in bright rooms.

@Mrs. Jacks: nice!! Lo still has a ways to go I think (only 6.5 months) but I love the idea. I"m sure I"ll get pushback from our families though...

I'm not sure where they got American parents don't do some of this stuff. I do know several young kids that know how to use a pocket knife. The family my husband used to live with taught his kids how to throw knives at 7 or 8, they survived. My not quite 2 year old puts herself up in a tree, granted it's not high but I feel like there's lots of parts of America where this doesn't apply to - maybe it's a city vs country thing. I don't agree with not eating between meals, I'm way too active for that and so is LO, there's been plenty of studies that show smaller, more frequent meals lead to less obesity than more.

Articles that generalize the parenting styles of entire populations like this drive me crazy.

Not all Korean kids are good eaters, btw. And there are a lot of things American kids eat that Korean kids wouldn't touch.

@looch: good point. My husband was raised in a developing country where he had to take a pubic bus packed to the brim with people to school--so packed that he would often just ride on the outside of the bus, holding on.

Or he would ride on his dad's ssooter without a helmet. His family had a water well, and his dad would put him on the bucket and reel him down in the well, so he could clean the inside of debris.

But....he's more of a cautious-parenting type than I am! I don't think he sees those things as the "right way" to parents. He would never let our soon-to-be LO go to school alone on a city bus, hanging from the side.

Interesting...

I agree with many of the points she makes. But, living in another culture myself, I realize constantly that every culture has its own "stuff." For every admirable trait, there's a whole galaxy of associated ideas and traits. If that makes any sense. And it's just a little piece of the crazy web of culture.

The US emphasis on independence, for example, is a whole package that many other cultures find distasteful. Or now that I live in Mexico, I hear from many non-Mexicans how wonderful it is that Mexicans are so family-oriented. It IS wonderful but sometimes it's more than just living your mama or eating with her every Sunday. There are less-awesome aspects to it as well.

So while I think it's great to learn from how other people do things, it's kind of dangerous to idealize them. I don't know if you can just pick and choose elements of different cultures like that because they seem nice to you. Maybe I'm a pessimist!