Parenthood by
Proxy,
by Dr. Laura C.
Schlessinger,
© 2000, p. 255 |
It is rather
explicit testament to the method by which many children today are being
raised, i.e., dropped off at the kiddy corral. Apparently, after
dropping the child off at 7 A.M.
and picking him up at 6 P.M.,
the parents are informed about their child’s life through a checklist of
sorts. This laissez-faire method of child rearing is somehow
legitimized by the apparent “care” and “attention” given to the individual
child throughout the day, as described on the report card.
On this report
care, the times of urination are noted.
Each
entry is in a different handwriting—exactly five. That means
that over the course of the day, at least five individuals were in charge of
caring for this child.
A small
checklist in the bottom right-hand corner of the report card reads four
choices: happy, talkative, quiet, and played well. This list falls a
little short as I do not see included in the choices such descriptions as:
abandoned, irreparably scarred, forsaken, discarded, rejected, and generally
sad—but I suppose that wouldn’t be good for business.
Category = Quality
|
Parenthood by
Proxy,
by Dr. Laura C.
Schlessinger,
© 2000, p. 255 |
“Chilling is the
large number of studies that link early, extensive day-care with
psychological, social, and behavioral problems,” writes Maggie Gallagher,
summarizing the vast and growing body of knowledge concerning day care’s
detrimental impact on children.
An affiliate
scholar at the Institute for American Values, Gallagher is also a nationally
syndicated columnist. “Studies increasingly confirm the common-sense
intuition that day care poses dangers to small children. An emerging
body or research suggests that children in full-time day care are less
likely to be firmly attached to their parents and are, on average, more
disobedient towards adults and more aggressive toward their peers than
children cared for primarily by their parents. In certain
circumstances, daycare also puts children’s cognitive development at risk”
(National Review, January 26 1998).
Category = Behavior,
Development
|
