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Why America Hates Its Children

businessinsider.com · 2,855 words · saved by 1 readers

Last summer, my kids and I spent a month in Greece, where their grandfather lives. Time and again, I was struck by a public attitude toward children I seldom encountered in America: unequivocal support. On Athenian buses, women older than myself frequently gave up their seats for my 5- and 8-year-old daughters. On one trip, an older woman hauled my younger child up next to her and tucked her hand underneath my daughter's elbow to prevent her from being thrown forward with every sudden stop. She held on to her like this for the whole ride. In America, we socialize our children to see strangers not as helpers but as threats. Worried parents scour Nextdoor for loiterers and miscreants; neighbors routinely call the police when parents let their kids explore outside. And when kids aren't being treated as endangered, they're often viewed as a nuisance. How many articles have I read about whether children should be allowed on airplanes, or at weddings, or in restaurants? Every country has its

American parents are being crushed by a lack of care and support from the state. Jesse Zhang for Business Insider Kids are worse off in America than in any other rich country. It's by design. American parents are being crushed by a lack of care and support from the state. Jesse Zhang for Business Insider Last summer, my kids and I spent a month in Greece, where their grandfather lives. Time and again, I was struck by a public attitude toward children I seldom encountered in America: unequivocal support. On Athenian buses, women older than myself frequently gave up their seats for my 5-…

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