Parenthood, outsourced

[dianetavegia]

I'd like to hear other's thoughts on this. Am I the only one who's shocked by this?

"Grandmothers on Call" was created about a year ago by three metro registered nurses who answer parental concerns via the phone. Cost: $10 a week, regardless of the number of calls or length of conversations.

• Little Sluggers at Sportsarama, located in Marietta and Dallas, offers training for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. You get a 30-minute private lesson with a former major-league player. Cost: $44 a session.

• Dunwoody-based Parents and Partners will help parents deal with toilet training issues or children who are labeled "wild" by teachers. Director Licia Freeman charges $120 an hour. She meets only with the parents (not the kids) to draft a plan of action. She will also act as a liaison between school officials and parents.

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/0705/31parents.html

YIKES! Fixed link

[ August 01, 2005, 09:15 PM: Message edited by: dianetavegia ]

 

[TexasSky]

For $120 an hour, I will gladly tell you how to raise your child.

Yes, it is shocking. It shows how little some people value their children, and it shows how spoiled some children are.

 

[Johnv]

There's not enough info to form full opinions.

The first looks to be an advice line that parents can pay for. I don't see anything compromising about that. Unusual, yes. Compromising, no.

Same with the second. I've known a few little tykes who are pretty good already at baseball. Having a private session or two doesn't seem to be an issue, especially for some of those dads who simply aren't sportsminded enough.

Item three, again, it's a bit unusual, but I don't see anything compromising here.

These three things appear to all address unusual situations. I don't see them as particularly alarming. Amusing, yes, alarming, no.

 

[Daisy]

Many first-time parents are isolated, without their families or friends. Some people don't have stable, sane or dependable families. If they don't have a good church community, they can be lost and scared.

Paying for advice from experienced people, is not the worst they can do.

After watching a couple of the reality nanny shows on tv, I can see that some very nice, well-meaning parents just don't have a clue.

 

[ASLANSPAL]

I think just seeing one of those nanny reality
shows tells me there is a market out there...I
do not know how much for Christian couples hope
fully not much.

As the middle class is under tremendous stress
in the country and both mom and dad work to
keep up...then in wisdom they ask for help and
pay their earned money for it ..that is their
privacy.

Btw, why pay money when
God in his sovereign will has provided another resource (of course after the bible)

 

[dianetavegia]

Well try this link! Don't know what happened!
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/0705/31parents.html


"It's an indication that children are becoming inconvenient to a generation that is more self-absorbed than any previous generation in any culture at any time," he said. "Farm your kids out to nannies and coaches and tutors, and let someone else do the stuff that requires commitment and a sense of responsibility. "

An early start

Some parents are employing such services even before the baby is born.

Sacha Taylor, founder of Nannies & More, said the "baby nurse" sometimes accompanies the prospective parents on pre-baby shopping trips to help pick out bottles, diapers and baby lotions. Once the baby arrives, many parents want help getting the newborn on a feeding schedule or simply want a good night's sleep, she said. She expects to place about 75 baby nurses (most are not actually nurses) in metro Atlanta this year.


"Today there is a whole new skill set," Wendt said. "We want to keep up with the expectations."

Gina Shelly of Grantville, who recently enrolled her 5-year-old son, Randall Marable, in Sylvan's pre-k program, readily admits he does not need any tutoring before entering kindergarten next month. Randall can already write his name, recognizes letters and has tested at the kindergarten level. Still, Shelly would like to give Randall a boost before he goes to school next month.

Shelly said the four hours of tutoring costs about $200 a week, but she sees it as an investment.

 

[TexasSky]

I'm sorry, but I think giving money to total strangers to tell you how to be a parent is foolishly dangerous.

If you don't have family around you should have a church home and you probably have co-workers.

My values, as a Christian, are not the world's values.

 

[ASLANSPAL]

I think these services are marketed towards
the upwardly mobile couple who pull in a 120k
a year between them.


If anything it would be an opportunity for a
Christian couple to start a business and be
a light to those children the parents choose
to use as their services.

I think Christians can compete in the free
market and even do better than a secular person
if their heart is in the right place.

 

[Daisy]

Stay at home moms don't have co-workers. If a couple is new to a community, they may not have built ties. Sometimes people need outside advice. Seeking help professional help when at a loss should not be condemned.

Originally posted by ASLANSPAL:
I think these services are marketed towards
the upwardly mobile couple who pull in a 120k
a year between them.

Yes, some of them - who else would shell out that kind of dough to improve "scissoring" skills?

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

If anything it would be an opportunity for a Christian couple to start a business and be a light to those children the parents choose
to use as their services.

I think Christians can compete in the free
market and even do better than a secular person
if their heart is in the right place.

I would like to get in on the "Grandmother on Call" business! I can give experienced answers in THAT field as well as anyone, I suppose.

Many people in today's society have no grandparents close at hand (if at all).

"Foster Grandparents" has been a very useful organization for years.

 

[patrick]

I ask advice on parenting all the time. Anyone who has more experiance than me is fair game. My dad has been gone for 12 years so I cannot go and ask him. I live several hundreds of mile away from from my family.

My dad was a former college and minor league player. He taught me how to hit and field. My son has took lessons on how to hit. That was not my strong point. Does that make me a bad parent?


Diane, let kids play ball is not farming out your child. Not everyone is cut out to coach young kids. Sports builds socialazation and self confidence in children. To carry out your thoughts to their logical end then youth ministers, sunday school teachers, etc. are taking the place of parents.

I am with kids everyday. Kids with good parents who aren't interested in farming their kids out.

 

[Johnv]

Originally posted by I Am Blessed 16:
Many people in today's society have no grandparents close at hand (if at all).

"Foster Grandparents" has been a very useful organization for years.

I am one of those folks who never had grandparents. All but one passed away before I was born, and the last one passed away when I was less than a year old (so I have no memory of her).

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

Me too, John.

All four of my grandparents passed away before I was born. I know I missed out on a lot by the way I feel about MY grandchildren...

 

[Gold Dragon]

Phone lines giving parenting advice is no different from buying a book or reading websites about parenting. Just a different medium.

 

[I Am Blessed 24]

Good point, Gold.

 

[dianetavegia]

Yes, some of them - who else would shell out that kind of dough to improve "scissoring" skills?

GRACIOUS! I did that with Kelsey today. Give the kid safety scissors and a paper plate and have them cut ONLY the indentations. Tomorrow will be a square piece of paper and she'll cut only little slits all the way around. Give me a BREAK!

The coaches are major leage players working with babies.

Little Sluggers at Sportsarama, located in Marietta and Dallas, offers training for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. You get a 30-minute private lesson with a former major-league player. Cost: $44 a session.

In my opinion, some of the services are aimed at people who are making so much money they don't know what else to do or they feel so guilty that they are too tired to play with little Suzie that they over compensate by buying them stuff and companionship. I speak as one who sees this in my own family. Our 2 year old grandson has a well paid 'playmate' every Saturday.

 

[TexasSky]

Daisy,

Don't label it "professional" help. No one said these people have any kind of credentials in these fields.

I agree with Gold Dragon - a phone is not a living person.

If you need help - and you can't ask a relative - ask your family or get to know your neighbors.

And distance shouldn't be a factor. If your choice is a phone bank of strangers or your own mother, spring for the long distance call.

 

[patrick]

Diane,

It seems you have a problem with people who want to better their children's chance of success. I agree many parents don't spend enough quality time with their kids. Many do!!!!!!!!!

I can't plat piano so I guess my son misses out with your thinking. I would be out sourcing my parental duties if some one taught him to play.

 

[askM]

Originally posted by dianetavegia:
Well try this link! Don't know what happened!
http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/0705/31parents.html


"It's an indication that children are becoming inconvenient to a generation that is more self-absorbed than any previous generation in any culture at any time," he said. "Farm your kids out to nannies and coaches and tutors, and let someone else do the stuff that requires commitment and a sense of responsibility. "

An early start

Some parents are employing such services even before the baby is born.

Sacha Taylor, founder of Nannies & More, said the "baby nurse" sometimes accompanies the prospective parents on pre-baby shopping trips to help pick out bottles, diapers and baby lotions. Once the baby arrives, many parents want help getting the newborn on a feeding schedule or simply want a good night's sleep, she said. She expects to place about 75 baby nurses (most are not actually nurses) in metro Atlanta this year.


"Today there is a whole new skill set," Wendt said. "We want to keep up with the expectations."

Gina Shelly of Grantville, who recently enrolled her 5-year-old son, Randall Marable, in Sylvan's pre-k program, readily admits he does not need any tutoring before entering kindergarten next month. Randall can already write his name, recognizes letters and has tested at the kindergarten level. Still, Shelly would like to give Randall a boost before he goes to school next month.

Shelly said the four hours of tutoring costs about $200 a week, but she sees it as an investment.

In my opinion, some of the services are aimed at people who are making so much money they don't know what else to do or they feel so guilty that they are too tired to play with little Suzie that they over compensate by buying them stuff and companionship

AMEN AND AMEN!
I couldn't agree with you more.
I am a stay at home mom, and I take college classes online. Most of my friends are so caught up in worldly stuff, wanting a better car, a nicer house, etc... that even though they could raise their own children, they choose to outsource the job to a stranger, mostly daycare 50+ hours a week. How very sad that our priorities, even Christians, don't reflect what God says they should be.
God
Husand
Children

If anything interferes with these in my life, it's got to go.
These years will go by too fast and I'll never get them back. Living in an apartment and driving an older car is just fine with me. I get to witness my child growing up. I want to be the one to teach her what she needs to know. It's kind of sad that shows like Supernanny even exist. What happened to responsibility?

Sorry, off the soapbox.


-please note I am not knocking all those precious single moms out there and people who have no choice-

Children are last on most people's priority list. GRRRRR

 

[askM]

Originally posted by TexasSky:
I'm sorry, but I think giving money to total strangers to tell you how to be a parent is foolishly dangerous.

If you don't have family around you should have a church home and you probably have co-workers.

My values, as a Christian, are not the world's values.

Couldn't have said it better myself.