Education
Parenting is a task focused on the future. The very nature of raising children is to launch their future lives. Parents want their babies to learn so they can succeed in preschool and get into Harvard so they can live happily ever after. Even in the short term, conscientious parents focus on the future. In the spring, parents plan for their children’s fall school enrollment. In February, they decide about summer plans for their kids—camp, child care, activities, and maybe a family vacation. Before work in the morning, parents throw a load of laundry in the washer, knowing they’ll spend the evening on homework and dinner, and the kids are out of clean underwear. After work, Mom stops at a card shop to pick up birthday party invitations since their son is turning eight in two weeks, and Dad drops by the grocery store for diapers for child care tomorrow. Parents live in forward motion because they love their children and want what’s best for them. They never want to forget a birthday