The Hurried Child

Most children in present society are rushed through the course of life, missing and blurring the lines of major milestones. They have been exposed to and experiencing too much of the wrong things. Parents and the general society are pushing this generation to becoming mini-adults that seem mature, but is not yet developed enough to actually be mature. As a result, the children become frustrated and stressed, leading to the development of disabilities and disorders. Parents and society needs to not only become aware of, but to also take charge of the mental condition of the next generation.

The term “hurried child syndrome” is defined by the Urban Dictionary as “a condition in which parents overschedule their children's lives, push them hard for academic success, and expect them to behave and react as miniature adults.” This fairly new issue was first proposed by child psychologist David Elkind in 2007. Elkind’s book “The Hurried Child” clearly shows his concern for the next generation and what the word “childhood” has become for them. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “childhood” is defined as “the state or period of being a child.” And “child” is defined as “an unborn or recently born person.” Noticeably, the dictionary definition is completely objective. There is no implication of how childhood is, or what it involves. In the major advanced cultures around the world, childhood has always been mentioned with a positive connotation of innocence and joy. But the hurrying of children seems to be defying this way of thinking.

In “The Hurried Child”, David Elkind divides the causes of the hurried child into four “dynamics of hurrying”: parents, school, media, and technology. He explains the causes of hurrying children w...

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...id Elkind interview by People with reliable quotes.

Papalia, Diane E, Sally W. Olds, and Ruth D. Feldman. A Child's World: Infancy Through Adolescence. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2004. Print. The author is a child development and psychology professor. This is an anthology with strictly objective information. The content is broken down into physical, cognitive, and psychosocial developments of different stages of childhood.

Randisi, Jodie. "The Hurried Child." Self Improvement from SelfGrowth.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. . Self article regarding the hurried child.

"Urban Dictionary: hurried child syndrome." Urban Dictionary, December 13: Reply All Rage. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. . Definition for “hurried child syndrome”.