CYTT (Can You Top That): The Parenting “Plague” Hitting Long Island

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

On Long Island, seemingly more so than anywhere else it seems that parents are confronted with a very unique situation. Torn between the lavish east end and cosmopolitan influence from the west, this once “relaxed” suburban utopia has become one of the prime places to set roots, and it’s reflected in the cost of living. Furthermore, bordered by two Hollywood hot spots, Manhattan, and The Hamptons, many are left not only competing with the Jonses but with the Johnson’s, the Don Johnson’s et al.

Suburban “stay-at-home” moms are reluctant to stay at home (at least not without a home-based business) that will enable them to keep up with images and appearances and provide for their family the best money can buy. In fact, most “maturing” couples are spending more than 40 hours a week at the office and outside the home, leaving our children in the care of daycares and nanny’s.

And, with more money in our pockets and less time on our hands, we are gleefully grooming our children for adulthood, one likely as busy as ours. And, we are devoted to not depriving them of much other than our time.

From rushing from one activity to another, scheduling playtime and calling it “play dates” and keeping them so busy that they barely have time to be kids and enjoy the things we are paying (through the nose, might I add) for them to enjoy. In hopes of offering them a better and brighter tomorrow, we are often compromising their “today” and perhaps even teaching them not to compromise on what they get or how they get it, as long as they get it. But, will they ever enjoy it or know how to?

And, for the Long Island parents, these issues are a daily reality, with little or no guarantees that your child will prosper any more, or any better than you did, or any of his or her more “deprived” peers will.

In fact, the answer, they (the experts) suggest, may be found deeply ensconced in the B-word, calling for balance. While there is nothing wrong with working hard toward building your child’s future, parents are called to re-evaluate their (family) values and to strike a harmony between work and play, leaving behind or giving up your “can you top that” attitude and mentality.

Long Island Family Life & Parenting Articles > CYTT (Can You Top That): The Parenting “Plague” Hitting Long Island