‘Slow Parenting’: The Noble Savage in the High Chair

Are modern parents adopting the idea of the child as a noble savage? Slow parenting, free-range parenting, I-don’t-give-a-darn parenting — this new approach is gaining popularity in reaction to the hovering of so-called “helicopter” parents. The basic premise is to leave your kids alone and let them develop at their own pace. Are parents taking pride now in being labeled a bad parent? Lisa Belkin is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and she writes about this new trend in parenting in this weekend’s issue.