Once upon a time long, long ago, children were to be seen and not heard. A bit harsh maybe, but you can bet your sweet patootie there were no kids telling their mamas and papas what they, the children, were not going to do. A little time went by, and the sweet darlings were no longer required to be mute, but it was still the stringent policy of speak when you are spoken to. Yet again though, children exhibited acceptable manners and civility. So far, so good. More time passed, and children began to be encouraged to participate in conversations as a part of their learning to navigate the ever enlarging world in which they would need to move. The youngsters still were admonished to stay out of grown folk's talk (if you're of a certain age, you probably remember that phrase). We wanted our children to be erudite and confident in themselves, but there was still a loose tether to keep them from getting too big for their britches, though. And then I woke up one morning and a ...
