In miscellany today for your consideration pre-iftar:

Would you let your 10 year old stay home alone — or walk to school without an adult? Does the mere question make you uncomfortable? That’s because we, as overprotective helicopter parents, are raising kids exactly the opposite of how we were brought up, back when we were allowed to walk to school, hang out at the nadi for hours on end without supervision, and generally grow as independent human beings. The headline in the WSJ’s weekend read is US-centric, but it applies to just about everyone we know in their 30s and 40s here in Egypt, whether they’re Egyptian or expats. Read: The Overprotected American Child.

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