《中英對照讀新聞》Middle-class parents damaging their children by not being able to say ’no’ ／無法說「不」的中產階級父母害了自己的小孩

中英對照讀新聞配圖。（取自網路）

◎孫宇青

"Wild, unruly students in the classroom could be the progeny of so-called ’helicopter parents’, those who give intensive attention to their child and pander to their every whim, fueling a ’little emperor’ syndrome," said Dr. Amanda Gummer, a psychologist specializing in child development.

專門研究兒童發展的心理學家阿曼達．古莫博士指出：「教室裡任性、不守規矩的學生可能是所謂『直升機父母』養出來的小孩，他們密切注意著孩子，迎合孩子的所有想法，助長『小皇帝』症候群。」

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"Those parents are ruthlessly ambitious for their child’s future -failing to realize how badly their mollycoddling is preparing them for the setbacks of real life."

「那些父母對孩子的未來有著堅定不移的野心，所以無法明白這樣的溺愛，將對在現實生活中遭遇挫折的孩子有何負面影響。」

While we’ve known this parenting style can create children unable to make decisions or exhibit independence, what’s less discussed is how aggressive and difficult the children of "helicopter parents" -often middle-class, professional and, to their minds, devoted to their darlings -can be at school.

我們已經了解，這種管教方式可能養育出無法做決定或展現獨立的小孩，但較少受到討論的是，由多數為中產階級、具有專業能力、自認對小寶貝盡心盡力的「直升機父母」所教養的小孩，在學校裡將會多麼好鬥且適應困難。

They can’t cope with not being number one, so they try to get the attention. "Too many of these children have never heard the word ’no’ levelled at them at home."

他們無法接受不當第一名，所以會試著爭取別人注意。「太多這種小孩在家裡從沒聽過別人直接對他們說『不行』。」

"If they are deprived of those basic life experiences at home, it makes educating them a far greater challenge for their teachers than it ever need be."

「如果他們在家被剝奪這樣的基本生活經驗，教育他們的老師就會遭遇比一般情況下更大的挑戰。」

新聞辭典

pander：動詞，迎合。例句：The media is criticized for pandering to the vulgar tastes of certain viewers.（媒體因迎合部分觀眾的低級品味而遭到批評。）

whim：名詞，奇想。例句：Parents should not always cater to children’s every whim.（父母不該總是迎合小孩的奇思怪想。）

mollycoddle：動詞，溺愛。例句：Tom mollycoddles his only daughter.（湯姆溺愛著他唯一的女兒。）

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