TOW #25 "Parents: You’re all doing it wrong" By Kristen Chase

All over the Internet there are websites offering information about how to be the best parent or raise the best children. However, by digging through all of this information one would find numerous websites that contradict each other. The article by Kristen Chase “Parents You’re all doing it wrong” uses and juxtaposition and the personal you to show that there is no perfect way to parent.

            The article is written in a series of statements grouped in pairs that juxtapose each other explaining the drawbacks to each parenting method. For every choice a parent makes, there seems to be drawback, but overall these decisions do not have a right answer. To show this concept Chase arranges the article very specifically flowing from one topic to another and showing the contradictions within each individual decision. She includes reasoning’s not only about the children’s lives, such as allowing children to watch TV, or using store bought baby food, but also about the parent’s roles “You, who have never ever spent a night away from the children, you are creating an unhealthy co-dependency. You, who travel without your children, you’re creating a traumatic sense of abandonment” (Chase). By writing these two lines together Chase allows the readers to decide for themselves about what the best solution is, however, she shows that there is no clear, correct decision in parenting

            By speaking in second person throughout the article, Chase creates a personal connection with her audience to help them analyze the situation in their own lives. Chase places the reader in the role of a parent for each named situation, which helps them see that there is no perfect choice. She begins each statement, “You, who…” (Chase). By beginning personally and finishing the sentence with the consequence one can see that no matter what they do there is no perfect method.

         The choices made while parenting have many effects on the lifestyle of a family, but Chase explains that there is no correct decision. Using the contradicting statements and the personal you, she allows her audience to analyze their own solutions to help them come to the conclusion on their own. As I read the article, I thought about where my parents fall and saw that each choice does not stand alone and that the answers do not matter because I am who I am today because of it, and I like who I have become. So even if my parents have “done it all wrong” (Chase) because every choice has a consequence, I don’t care.

Goals:

Appropriate/relevant introcution

So what conclusion