The Shortlist for Aug. 16

Olympics Has Jennifer Garner Questioning Parenting Approach

Jennifer Garner opened up on parenting in a blog post for iVillage and says the "conundrum that keeps [her] up at night," is knowing when to push her kids to stick with certain activities or let them quit to pursue other interests. Like many parents with young kids, she often wonders if she's making the right decisions. Garner asks, "Isn't it my job to parent, to encourage, to help my child define themselves? Or should I step out of the way and let them be led by their passions? Do kids understand their passions without getting past the boring fundamentals?" This, of course, came after watching the Olympics and seeing all the athletes alongside their intense parents. She writes, "If I ever see Michael Phelps' mother at a Subway, I will burst into hysterical tears from some kind of deep sense memory." (iVIllage)

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