Having It All Versus Having Happy Kids

Throughout the summer, The Takeaway has covered parenting and the notion of “having it all” from a number of approaches — from women, from men, and from those who think having it all is the wrong thing to shoot for. How do children fit into this equation? How do they feel about parents who want everything — not just for themselves, but for their kids? Do parental high expectations get kids excited for a future of academic and personal achievement, or lead to other issues? Madeline Levine is a psychologist and the author of “Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success” and “The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage Are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids.”