Question: At grocery stores and other public places, I often see parents being harsh toward their children, who are understandably tired and impatient. What is reasonable to expect from a child in this kind of situation, and what is reasonable to expect from a parent?
Jan Hunt responds: A child's rambunctiousness in public embarrasses parents, because our society expects children to remain silent and to behave as though they are mature adults -- a most unrealistic and uncaring expectation. Expecting the impossible can of course only lead to disappointment and frustration for both parents and children.
© Jan Hunt
NFO contributor Jan Hunt is Director of the Natural Child Project http://www.naturalchild.org.
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