Lori Gottlieb skewers overbearing parents and explains how they might be ruining their kids' ability to be happy:
We can expose our kids to art, but we can’t teach them creativity. We can try to protect them from nasty classmates and bad grades and all kinds of rejection and their own limitations, but eventually they will bump up against these things anyway. In fact, by trying so hard to provide the perfectly happy childhood, we’re just making it harder for our kids to actually grow up. Maybe we parents are the ones who have some growing up to do—and some letting go.
Anna North praises her final conclusion:
This is a message I wish she'd gotten much earlier, when she was telling women that if they just made all the right dating choices, then they'd be rewarded with a happy marriage and family. But now that she's wised up to it, it's worth repeating: whether you're looking for a partner or raising a kid, it's worthwhile to remember that there are some things you just can't control. And trying to control them often causes more harm than good.
(Image by Steve Lambert via this isn't happiness)
The Dish 