[jimhefferon]

I have the sense I am a lot older than many readers here. So here are two old man's observations for those with young kids, or those looking forward to that who read this article. I don't claim these are the most important things, just that they are things I have seen that others don't seem to comment on.

1) In the US at least so many people are living away from family and often even friends. My wife and I were essentially on our own. We did not have the wisdom of people who had done it and learned (hence this post and I expect the article ..). We had the general idea of helping, but I certainly think we helped too much (our kids are OK, not living at home for one thing).

2) At least some of American parenting ratcheting-up is a contest among mothers. "I'm a better mother because my daughter takes both piano and horse-riding." It is not a pretty truth, but it is nonetheless a truth.