Watching a nature documentary recently I was struck by the self-sufficiency of baby zebras.
In short, the mother zebra gives birth, gives her foal a quick nudge then expects it to be up on its feet within minutes. Any delay and it could be pounced upon by a pack of hyenas.
While no-one expects such independence in human children it’s clear that in the past couple of decades, our offspring have become less, not more, capable. In fact, I’d venture that as households have become busier with both parents going out to paid work, children are doing less and less.
I know from experience that it’s often easier to do a task yourself than guide a child through it. And so we rush home from our paid jobs via the supermarket, then it’s…
You're reading a preview of
New Idea (Digital) - 1 Issue, 27 April 2020