Jessica Calarco
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thread 1/4
Intensive parenting has big downsides for kids and families. Yet, it's hard not to feel compelled to hover when "well-meaning neighbors" (like the woman who followed my kids home from the bus stop and gave me a snide comment when I came up to meet them) are so quick to judge.
09:59 PM - May 03, 2023
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Jessica Calarco
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thread 2/4
I can see my kids' bus stop from my home office window. And my kids want independence. So I usually wait for the bus to approach the stop, then leave the house and walk up to meet them partway. But that's not good enough for the woman who was biking through our neighborhood.
10:00 PM - May 03, 2023
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Jessica Calarco
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When I approached, she was riding alongside my 8-year-old daughter, and as I got closer, she asked "Is that your mom?" My daughter said yes, and the woman responded: "Great. That way you're not out here talking to a stranger on your own." I smiled (curtly) and she rode away.
10:00 PM - May 03, 2023
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Jessica Calarco
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thread 4/4
Hours later, I'm still angry. In part because it worries me to think what she might've done if I hadn't come out to meet the kids halfway. But at least the kids and I had a productive chat about why some grownups act like this and about why it's important not to police or judge.
10:01 PM - May 03, 2023
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