American Parenting And The Culture Of Worry

We constantly hear about the importance of cognitive development and school readiness, but is nurturing kids’ emotional intelligence early on more essential?


What weighs on the minds of American parents today? For many of them, it’s a fear that their young children are at risk of falling behind. “I try and read up on … what a 2-month-old should be doing, what a 3-month-old should be doing,” says a mom of an infant daughter, “so I can make sure that I do some activities that are helping her develop those skills and things that she needs to do.”

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