Hmm. So is the appropriate reaction to assume that *none* will do so, and thus push all to the lowest common denominator? And what are the side-effects of that assumption?

Keep in mind, as mentioned elsethread, much of this is plain and simply *not* the way many of us were brought up, and we did survive. What are the effects on the children who *would* have learned responsibility if they were given some of it?

That's really the heart of my qualm here: learning how to care for yourself is a critical lifelong survival skill, and it starts early. I am admittedly not a parent, but among the kids in my community (and there are a lot of those), the ones who are taught as much responsibility as they can handle early seem to usually be the ones who come out as the best adults...