Dear Prudence

Re: Look at this

SusanM — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:22:02 GMT

Sure but involvement doesn't necessarily equal protection. A good parent could spend several hours involved, sitting down with his or her child and talking them through the situation. The parent could help the child brainstorm for ideas, listen while the child carried out a plan of action and then go over the results of the action with the child. All of it would be pretty intense involvement but it would also help the child grow.

Re: Look at this

YannyX — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:07:32 GMT

Oh no it definitely is not. I was just pointing out what too much involvement can lead to. Not that it always ends in death or an emotionally traumatic experience.

By the mother getting too involved she's is failing to teach her daughter how to deal with these types of girls and boys. That might lead to the girl getting more flak and perhaps deciding to end her life or to turn to extreme antisocial behaviors or perhaps make her into a future mean girl herself. I have no kids myself and probably won't for many many years, but it just seems logical to assume that when mommy or daddy protect their kids too much the kids fail to learn how to protect themselves.

Re: Look at this

SomebodyElse — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:13:51 GMT

The Megan Meier story is what I was referring to in this thread:

http://fray.slate.com/discuss/forums/thread/2957399.aspx

down below (2006? I thought it was more recent than that).

People who would do that to a kid should be taken out to the woodshed ...

With that said though, going to someone's house and demanding an apology for not only shunning your daughter, but having others call to rub it in, is nothing at all like what happened in these two stories.

Look at this

YannyX — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:46:29 GMT

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31714749/ns/local_news-new_york_ny/

and remember this?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312018,00.html

This is what came to mind when I read Mom of Meanie.