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“ Rule 5: Do Not let Your Children Do Anything That Makes You Dislike Them ”

Peterson dislikes free-range parenting and says that "parents should come in pairs". Don’t, he says, be the mummy “out to produce a little God Emperor of the Universe.” That, he suggests, is "the unstated goal of many a mother, including many who consider themselves advocates for full gender equality". Today’s parents, who should be "agents of discipline, order and conventionality" are "terrified by their children".



As a mother AND a lone parent, my initial reaction contains many swear words. Although the core idea – don’t let your kids be brats or everyone will hate them and they’ll grow up to be unself-aware losers – is basic common sense, the idea of being “an agent of order and conventionality” sounds like something straight out of Stepford. No thanks, pal. This does not mean my kids have ever been allowed to run screaming through Tesco, throw homework out the window, or smoke weed in their rooms (mine have done all of these things, but never more than once...as far as I am aware).