I heard Tim Keller reference an article on overparenting by Judith Shulevitz in the NYT. The article is from 2006 and is very interesting. Keller, combines his illustration with another article by Shulevitz on Sabbath. Workaholism and overparenting are of the same pathology: my reputation. Regading mothering, she writes,
“Overparenting has a lot in common with overwork. Both make economists happy, because they lead us to buy more stuff, whether that stuff is baby-wipe warmers or gourmet meals delivered after hours to our offices. Both are powered by fear of a loss of face. But the two also come into conflict, and therein may lie one route to salvation. It is mothers caught between overparenting and overwork who have the strongest incentive to push back against the forces that drive them.”
