In the second half of the 20th century, Chudacoff says, parents became increasingly concerned about safety paranoid about Chesters in the shrubbery, despite the fact that most child molesters are relatives or family friends, and were driven to create play environments that were secure and could not be penetrated by threats of the outside world, and also that would look good on an application to an Ivy League school.

Fixed it for them.

"Today's 5-year-olds were acting at the level of 3-year-olds 60 years ago, and today's 7-year-olds were barely approaching the level of a 5-year-old 60 years ago," Bodrova explains. "So the results were very sad."

Yep. "Five is the new three." Maybe that explains why I see so many older kids being paraded around in yuppie strollers like little pashas.

"Because of the testing, and the emphasis now that you have to really pass these tests, teachers are starting earlier and earlier to drill the kids in their basic fundamentals. Play is viewed as unnecessary, a waste of time,"

This article really does take great pains not to blame breeders for anything, doesn't it?