In her controversial Dispatch this week, Katie Allison Granju wonders if it may be time to re-stigmatize certain parenting behavior.
She wonders, "if everyone is a "Bad Parent," then where is the line
between reasonable and unreasonable maternal imperfection?"
Most
interestingly, she challenges the bad parent confessional on class
lines: "The mostly-white, mostly-college-educated mothers (like me)
who pen "momoirs" about things like letting their third grader navigate
public transportation sans adult supervision get appearances on talk
shows. However, a poor, minority or immigrant mother who made the same
parenting choice would more likely get a visit from Child Protective
Services."
Of course, the concern (expressed by some commenters)
that shame was not ever a good thing and should not be revived is
reasonable too.
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