Description

web infohttp://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/doczone/2010/hyperparents/Are today’s well-meaning parents giving their children a leg up in life, or creating problems that will last their child’s lifetime? The new CBC documentary Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids explores the cultural pressures on parents to be hyper-parents and the impact it has on their children.The current trend of over-parenting began in the early 1980’s when baby boomers – who ended up having fewer children, later in life – started having kids, and it has continued down the line. At first, Baby on Board signs in car windows proudly announced “precious cargo” inside. Today, however, it is not enough to wait until the baby is born. While pregnant, parents start their single-minded search for ways to create an über child – and there is no shortage of products to help them, including ‘prenatal education systems’ that claim to give Junior an intellectual, social, creative and emotional advantage. Once the baby is born, the race to keep him or her ahead of the pack intensifies – with baby videos, baby ballet, gymnastics before they can walk, and parents’ near-fanatic devotion to finding the right pre-school.Parents are willing to overextend their budgets so they can maintain a program that will lead to their child’s success. And they will do everything in their power to protect their investment – coming to the rescue whenever their child encounters adversity…