Hyper-Active Lives
             Parental involvement with a child's education is a topic of great controversy in America today. Should a parent take the reigns and closely overlook their child's life, or should children be left their space for independent thought and individuality? This question persistently pesters parents in the US and all over the world. In Making the Grade, an essay by James Atlas, Atlas attempts to answer the question of parental involvement by discussing both the way that he raises his children and also the way that he was raised. Throughout the essay, Atlas seems to give a plethora of support to the side that agrees with being avidly involved with a child's education. Alternately, Atlas also throws in some nostalgic stories of his childhood, which was governed mainly by very little parental involvement. Although Making the Grade hits many important points about this ongoing controversy, Atlas ends up supporting both sides too much, eventually leaving the reader confused as to what claim the essay is really promoting.
             We live in "the era of the child", which is defined by parents centering their lives around their children. Many parents in the modern US seem to have expectations on how they raise their children. If certain things aren't done to enrich a child's education and development, then that child's parents are looked down upon by those who do fulfill the contemporary requirements. The whole notion of being singled-out for not spending every waking moment with a child is ridiculous. People shouldn't be judged for being busy. It's not possible for all parents to live their lives for their children, dedicating many hours a day to promote a child's well-being and future. A lot of the time, the activities that a parent is involved with won't even require the child's presence, and the more of these activities there are, the less time a parent wi...