Tiger Mom

You thought Tiger Mom was tough and helicopter mom a bit overbearing. There's a new parenting style making the rounds, and it's not pretty. Meet Lawnmower Mom: she can be found lurking around the sidelines of her kids sporting events, ready to jump in and "mow" down anything — or anyone — who gets in the way of her lil one. Parents who are a little too invested in their kids' games, screaming and yelling at coaches and arguing with referees, aren't a new concept, but this new breed of aggressive parenting takes the whole inappropriate exchange to a violent, utterly unacceptable new level: there are reports of mothers going so far as to attack other children who they feel have wronged their child in some way.

The "lawnmower mom's" behavior isn't limited to the field; CBS reports that one mother actually encouraged her 12-year-old to brawl with her classmates, and then got in on the action herself, throwing punches. Like helicopter moms, the lawnmower mom believes it's up to her to shepherd her child through life, clearing their path of every obstacle — real or imagined.

Have you ever met a lawnmower parent? How did you handle it?

The wise Ferris Bueller once said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Families embracing the concept of slow parenting movement would certainly agree. The "slow family" style isn't a totally new concept — it has popped up as an alternative to the popular and often satirized helicopter mom archetype for the past several years. Families who embrace slow parenting feel that in general, kids these days are overscheduled, overstressed, overextended: basically overparented. Believers in the "slow" philosophy advocate fewer after-school activities, more time with the family, less TV, and more time playing outside.

The movement might have gotten off to a — slow — start, but it seems to be picking up some momentum lately, probably due to some combination of Tiger Mom backlash, a down economy, and a growing trend focused on simplicity and getting back to basics.

What do you think about the slow parenting philosophy?

Parenting trends come and go, and in his 30 years serving parents and children, Dr. Bill Sears has seen it all. The pediatrician, author of more than 30 baby and parenting books, and founder of the attachment parenting movement has some strong views on how we are raising our tots today, and he's not afraid to voice them.

I spoke with the doctor at the launch of his new Dr. Sears Family Essentials line of all-natural snacks, beverages, and baby care products. After discussing the importance of adding DHA to kids' diets, our conversation shifted to current parenting issues. See what he had to say!

LilSugar: How concerned should parents be with environmental health issues, and how can parents reduce their effects on kids?
Dr. Bill Sears: Very concerned. But they can talk about it. But the fact of life is, they can make changes in the food issue much quicker than environmental issues.

LS: In all of your years of watching babies and parents, what trends do you find most interesting now, and which do you find most disturbing?
Dr. Sears: The best trend right now is parents finally taking nutrition seriously. They're making the connection between what my child eats and how my child's brain grows, how my child learns to behave. They've always known that, but they're now doing something. For the first time in history, we're seeing an action plan.

The second trend is pediatricians are not being so wimpy. We used to say, "Oh you're child needs to eat healthy," or "Your child's a bit overweight." We don't use the term overweight anymore. We use the term prediabetic. For a mom, sitting in my office, and I say to you, because I care, that Susi is prediabetic, you're going to make a change much more than if I say she's a bit overweight. So that’s a trend that we’re seeing, because the old things are not working.

My concern still is that parents have not gotten the message that my child is what he eats. We cannot blame the food industry. The food industry will make what parents will buy. If you don't buy it, they won’t make it.

Keep reading to see what Dr. Sears had to say about the Tiger Mom movement!