I recently ran across this article that ranks the ten most influential people in family life today. I skimmed the list despondently: where were all of the people who have been most influential in my family’s life? My despondence shifted to criticism. “Moms” as #1 perpetuates bias about traditional family structure, discredits non-typical family organizations, and ignores the contribution from other spouses and extended family. Harvey Karp as #2? If you have ever read (or ever even heard of) The Happiest Baby on the Block, this article by Lisa Sunbury is worth reading. Steve Jobs as #3? Don’t get me wrong – my technology testifies to my personal indebtedness to Jobs (typing on a mac, checked my email on an iPad, and looking forward to getting a new iPhone 5 in September). But an icon of screen time ranked as the third most influential voice in family life today? I recognize that this list is an aggregation of popular opinions, and I don’t want to discredit the significant contributions from many on the list, but reading over Scholastic’s list moved me.
To the millions of parents whose habits formed the basis for this list, have you heard of my influential people?
