The Parenting Puzzle: Setting Boundaries and Teaching Empathy The debate over how much parents should involve their children in household tasks is a familiar one.
However, two recent letters to Slate's Care and Feeding column highlight a more fundamental issue: teaching children about boundaries and empathy.
A mother wants to continue packing her 8 year old twins' lunches because it makes them feel loved and taken care of. Her husband argues that they should learn to pack their own lunches for independence.