Chapter 17 At Issue Questions

653

AT ISSUE: ARE HELICOPTER PARENTS RUINING THEIR CHILDREN’S LIVES?

  1. Aucoin speaks with one parent whose son is her Facebook friend (para. 29). Levine refers to parents who make “repetitive phone calls to ‘just check if you’re O.K.’” (para. 8). How have new technologies—such as Facebook, Twitter, and texting—changed parent-child relationships? Do you think these changes have been positive? Harmful? Both? Neither?

  2. According to Levine, researchers have found that “the optimal parent is one who is involved and responsive, who sets high expectations but respects her child’s autonomy” (3). Do you think that Pattie Knight, who is mentioned in paragraph 7 of Aucoin’s essay, fits this definition? Why or why not?

  3. Levine writes that “it is the inability to maintain parental boundaries that most damages child development” (16). What “boundaries” do you think she is referring to? Why are they so important?

WRITING ARGUMENTS: ARE HELICOPTER PARENTS RUINING THEIR CHILDREN’S LIVES?

Both Aucoin and Levine define and evaluate different parenting styles. Using their essays as starting points, write an essay that defines the parenting style that you experienced. Address the important issues raised by Aucoin and Levine. For example, how do you define “involved and engaged parenting” on the one hand and “overparenting” on the other? Make sure your essay argues for or against the parenting style you discuss.