Separation Anxiety

Sitting in the courtyard of the Fairmont hotel on this warm spring morning in the capital city, I watch a small story unfold. It is, to me, indicative of the atmosphere that our children are now growing up in that has created several generations of spoiled, me-oriented Americans.

The two parents sit drinking their coffee and conversing as the children run back and forth. Now, I should point at that the children are rather unobtrusive and not really disturbing the people around them, besides the fact that they don't really seem to have been taught that their personal space ends about 12 inches from them and that sometimes you have to use your 'inside voices' outside.

The mother rises and heads towards the door to the lobby and is quickly followed by her young son. "Mommy." She turns to him and says "Mommy's is just going to get some coffee I'll be right back." (Of course at this point Daddy makes no move to intervene in the situation.) "No, Mommy" the boys pleads. She responds, "I'm just going to get some coffee. Stay with Daddy." "No!" "Yes, stay with Daddy I'll be right back." "No!", comes his response again to which the mother quickly responds "Do you want to come with me?"

Let's think about this scenario for a moment. "Do you want to come with me?" Wasn't that the point in the first place? The child obviously either wanted her to stay or to go with her. Her attempts to teach him to spend a moment apart from her were quickly collapsed at the slightest disagreement. The boy seems to have learned two lessons in this single moment. 1. That if he he only puts up a mild protest, he can change any situation that displeases him, and 2. That he can't possibly be without his mother for a second.

I have to wonder. What are the chances that the life ahead is going to meet his expectations?