NYT journalist Pamela Druckerman argues in “The Bad News About Helicopter Parenting: It Works” that while “high-octane, hardworking child-rearing has some pointless excesses” and is not enjoyable for parents, there is a “right” way to do it. This way “works for kids.” The language of a “right” way to parent” that “works” for children suggests that there is a singularly correct way to raise children and that other ways are not capable of providing all the opportunities essential to allow children to reach their potentials. Druckerman sites recent Northwestern University research that analyzed the 2012 PISA, an academic test of 15-year-olds around the world, and reports from the teenagers and their parents about how they interact. The study found that an “intensive parenting style” correlated with higher scores on the test. A British study also suggests that the benefits are beyond academic yielding better health and higher self-esteem. The article raises the question of how norms around mother-blaming and correct mothering styles have adapted in the twenty first century.
