Safety obsession (I'm speaking for American parenting here).

I'm not talking about child safety seats, side airbags and bike helmets, I'm talking about over-parenting to the point of doting on every last bump, bruise, mishap and misadventure.

When we treat our kids like frail glass dolls, what exactly are we teaching? That if a risky adventure goes awry they'll fall apart and be shattered. Well guess what - no risk, no reward. No challenge, no growth.

Why is this a dangerous trend? Because risk averse kids become risk averse adults. Without calculated risks, you'd have no moon landing, you'd have no major inventions, etc. I'm really concerned for future generations.

People wonder why I don't stop my little tykes when they're at the top of the stairs. Well... a fall won't kill 'em. In fact, the sooner they learn the better. Same idea for germs and dirt.

Side note.. I wonder how much of this overlaps with the fact that the American legal framework is so heavily litigious.