A new generation of moms is saying "enough." (WSJ) After decades where the dominant expectation for high-achieving parents was to intensively helicopter, a new generation of moms is saying "enough." They're reclaiming date night, saying no to schlepping to 17 different after-school activities and making peace with dirty dishes in the sink.
Women have always shouldered the bulk of household and child-rearing responsibilities. But it's only recently that mothers were also expected to be project managers for their kids' futures. That began around the 1990s, economists say, as widening inequality and a shift toward a knowledge-based economy made parents fear their children would fall behind without a competitive edge. Good parenting in some enclaves came to include fighting to get toddlers into exclusive preschools, putting extreme limits on screen time—or later, tracking apps on teenagers' phones—and finishing Girl Scout Gold Award projects for kids so they could list them on college applications. (Thanks for that last one, mom.) The trend was exemplified by Amy Chua's infamous 2011 hit book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" (although many moms used the memoir to reassure themselves they weren't that bad). The rise of gentle parenting added emotional complexity to this labor, turning every toddler tantrum into an opportunity for a measured lesson in self-regulation. Suddenly, it wasn't enough to optimize a child's chance for success. Mothers had to follow a set of guidelines that required superhuman patience, too.
Women have always shouldered the bulk of household and child-rearing responsibilities. But it's only recently that mothers were also expected to be project managers for their kids' futures. That began around the 1990s, economists say, as widening inequality and a shift toward a knowledge-based economy made parents fear their children would fall behind without a competitive edge. Good parenting in some enclaves came to include fighting to get toddlers into exclusive preschools, putting extreme limits on screen time—or later, tracking apps on teenagers' phones—and finishing Girl Scout Gold Award projects for kids so they could list them on college applications. (Thanks for that last one, mom.) The trend was exemplified by Amy Chua's infamous 2011 hit book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" (although many moms used the memoir to reassure themselves they weren't that bad). The rise of gentle parenting added emotional complexity to this labor, turning every toddler tantrum into an opportunity for a measured lesson in self-regulation. Suddenly, it wasn't enough to optimize a child's chance for success. Mothers had to follow a set of guidelines that required superhuman patience, too.
:format(jpeg):fill(f8f8f8,true)/s3/static.nrc.nl/podcasts/wp-content/blogs.dir/131/files/2020/11/nrcpodcastfeatured-image1280x768v01vandaag.png)
![2026-395 [explored]](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55260334150_2a3a3cd53a_m.jpg)
