Chapter 1 Its your kid not a Gerbil

I found this book in the airport in Nashville and found it very thought provoking.  

1.  "The pressure to grow up fast, to achieve early is very great in middle-class America.  There is no room today for the "late bloomer."  Children have to achieve success early or they are regarded as losers."  This originally came from the book "The hurried Child" by David Elkind.  I know I will be putting this book on my wishlist.  This sounds interesting to me as my daughter started developing as early as the 2nd grade.  I just wasn't sure why.  She started shaving her legs by the 3rd grade.  I asked our pediatrician about this and he said that the pediatricians are finding that children are developing about 6 months before their mother's did.  Well, this would be a problem with me.  I was in the the 5th-7th grade.  This is quite the difference from 6 months.  Kids today are anxious about the society and how they are looked upon as parents.  Are parents looking for the blue ribbon to say you are The Best Parents?  I know of a lot adults that group up poor without tennis lessons and went on to be productive citizens contributing to society.  For goodness sakes they are holding a spot for their 2 month old in the most prestigious preschools in their area.  A school the child won't attend for another 3-4 years!  It was called Nursery University.  Check it out, I watched it on Netflix.

2. "Check out the magazine articles on squeezing the most out of every second, including how to lose weight faster, find the most healthy fast food, and make friends faster.  They're all aimed at our "instant" world." another quote from the first chapter of "Its Your Kid, Not a Gerbil".  

I remember when Oprah came out with her magazine.  I bought it with enthrusiasm just as other women around did.  I was very unimpressed with the media.  The magazine was filled to brim with ads.  Little content with a big price.  Yes, we live in an instant world.  I call it the "microwave age"  we want things done and appear now...not later.  So what are they doing?  Putting the parents on the gerbil wheel while the kids are at school?  Best Yoga place, best food for us to buy....really?  I am sure our grandparents when they were young only went to 1 store for all of their needs.  Everything else was made at home.

3. "At ToysRUs online, you can even buy PDAs for kids to schedule homework between soccer practice and Cub Scouts."  Really, people?  I mean we did participate in scouts when the kids were younger but I don't remember it taking up that much of our time.  About an hour a week I think?