Hyper-Active Parenting

Well, as promised, I am writing about one of the books I finished. The exact title escapes me, but the author is Carl Honore and the main title is "Under Pressure".
Like most books of this type, he beats a dead horse. At page 2, his theories were great. By page 100 I got the point. By page 200, I still got the point. Not much variety there. But he brought up some things I wasn't expecting and that was good. I was prepared to read about to many toys, pressure for perfect kids, and sports fanatics dressed as parents at a Little League game. But never in my wildest dreams did I think about after-school tutoring, day care extremes, and college pressure. The one story that has stuck with me two weeks after finishing the book was the mom at a sports game for her school aged son (9/10 years old-ish). The mom beat up on the referee after a call against her son-and the referee was visibly pregnant.
I want to ask-is this what the world has come too? Bubble wrap our kids so that their existence resembles Pollyanna before she fell out of the tree? That the world always looks like Disneyland in the morning? That we as parents, step-parents, eductors, and the adult population in general have taken on the role as "Guardian's of the GoodTime For Those Under Aged"? That every kid needs to win the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer, or Academy Award to feel validated? That if our kid deosn't get into Harvard they may as well give up on life-at 18?
I had to take a a breath and remember that obviously the author needs examples to support his point so the most extreme stories will get used in his book. Not everyone parent's like their kids walk on water. All of my friends love their children but few think they are raising the next Messiah.
And one thing I think the author missed is my old nemesis-Science. We all know the pressure of raising kids. Some of us have looked at the pressure and opted out by not reproducing, and some of us are active with kids we aren't related to by blood. But you would have to be a complete moron not to realize that kids cause stress. And to compound that, Science has informed us that we are not competent on our own. Any bookstore has a section on child-rearing: how to potty train, break the sippy cup hold, walk early, talk clearly, raising the happy child, the guides to good toys, how to provide the best nutrition, get the best grades-and just a ton of other titles. It makes you feel like a day at the playground with a sandwhich and a jug o' water are no longer good enough since the bread might not be whole wheat, the water might come from the tap, and the playground could have killer germs, bully kids, or just be boring. If your four-year old isn't potty trained they may hate their mother, or have deep psychological issues with the toilet. We no longer assume kids are stubborn, actually like diapers, or scared to move to a "big kid" lifestyle. It has to be something deeper than that.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. Not only did it give me good tips on how to avoid becoming the hyper-active parent, but it did raise issues that I need to be aware of, like the people who get their two-year old into a tutoring program (tutoring is a world-wide business-I did not know that). It also made me feel good to know that I am on the right track for the type of parent I WANT TO BE. Every parent does it different-that is okay. And to some, this book may not fit into what they envision. But for me, it did and so I enjoyed reading the ways to stay on track.
I am always reminded that Thomas Edison was sent home in the second grade and told never to return-his teacher told his parents he was an idiot who would accomplish nothing. And Einstein ddin't talk till he was over 4. If they could change the world without the benefit of all the advantages kids have today, then maybe my son has a chance if I just give him a stick, a rock, and keep his finger out of his eye.