I agree, Shane. We do infantalize our youth. What does it take to be a relatively successful self-sufficient adult these days? 20 years of education plus the time it takes to pay off student loans?

Add to that the helicopter parent (which isn't all that of a new phenomena: I remember babysitting an 8 year old who claimed that he didn't know where the glasses were in the kitchen, so he couldn't get his own drink of water, and I think he was likely telling the truth) -- it's hardly their fault. But given that many (though certainly not all) have grown up under these influences, how do you go about restoring both responsibility and empowerment? Well, may be a subject that risks becoming political.

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