Rich Kids, Poor Kids

02/02/2016

If I had to make a general rule for living and working with children, it might be this: Be wary of saying or doing anything to a child that you would not do to another adult, whose good opinion and affection you valued.
John Holt

"The lives of children from rich and poor American families look more different than they have in decades," observes Claire Cain Miller in her New York Times article "Class Differences in Child-Rearing Are on the Rise."

"Well-off families are ruled by calendars, with children enrolled in ballet, soccer and after-school programs, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. There are usually two parents, who spend a lot of time reading to children and worrying about their anxiety levels and hectic schedules.

"In poor families, however, children tend to spend their time at home or with extended family, the survey found. They are more likely to grow up in neighborhoods that their parents say aren't great for raising children, and their parents worry about them getting shot, beaten up or in trouble with the law."

Contributed by Zvia Dover

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