Dear Mr. and Mrs. Bear,
Thank you for sending our darling Goldi back to us. There are a few things I’d like to have the opportunity for us to discuss parent to parent.
First off, our daughter is on a very strict organic raw food diet. Leaving food on the table, especially cooked porridge, was extremely irresponsible. Not being used to cooked food she burned her tongue on the porridge from the big bowl. I don’t blame her at all for dumping it on the floor. More worrisome, though, is the fact that we had to have a long conversation about why baby bear gets to eat cooked food and honey while she must eat raw oatmeal with pumpkin seeds and raisins.
Goldi told us that you didn’t even have proper accommodations for guests. Two of your chairs were not comfortable at all for her, and the one that was her size and barely comfortable enough for her to sit in, broke within minutes of her sitting down.
We’d be willing to accept all of this were it not for the fact that you woke her up from her nap and scolded her immediately. We always let her have a glass of milk and a cookie before talking to her when she wakes up. While Mr. Locks and I have all of the respect in the world for nature and all of its creatures, I believe it is a bit beyond the pale that you scolded her for exploring the forest our family has owned for three generations. We always encourage exploration in our home and an openness toward new experiences and Goldi was doing exactly as we raised her to do. My grandfather bought this land so we could use the resources there like trees, streams and even porridge – whether we choose to eat it or throw it away. She was merely using what was purchased some time ago.
As for Goldi, she was traumatized by the experience and still wakes from the nightmares your family gave her. You will be hearing from our attorney.
All the best,
Mrs. Linda Locks
Go Outside Today 
Aravind’s primary school teacher was telling me that parents interfere too much these days. She said in earlier days this never happened. I feel some parents over protect their children and when problems come in life these children are not able to face them.
Definitely – but also like I was saying to Jaya – it isn’t just that they’re helping (I think everyone’s parents do that) but *what* they’re helping with. I’ve heard stories of parents calling grown kids’ bosses about promotions and compensation, for example.
In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong with helping and learning that sometimes we need to ask for help – but when we teach our kids that someone will help by doing things like asking teachers to lower their expectations of them, is a big problem. Eventually they will get to a point where *they* have to change and will be upset at that rather than just taking on the challenge.
Some parents really do everything they can to complicate their children and make them misfits in society.
Superb post.
Thanks! I actually don’t have problems with parents helping kids out of difficult situations. It is what we’re here for. But it’s that combined with the sense of entitlement that *others* should change what they do in order to clear the way for their kids. To be fair, some people like to control others whether or not children are involved so kids just provide a great excuse for them to tell others what to do rather than adjust their own situation or tell their kids to do the same.