What it does is fairly accurately describe what actually happens in many households around the country and in most countries, not what your perhaps somewhat 'utopian' views (and of most pedophiles) would like us to believe. I didn't say I agreed with the message, just that it describes what happens generally. Whether an alternative that is better could evolve will no doubt wait for history to decide.

No, it is an opinion. If you extract the fact that parents control their kids, then yes, that is an accurate description of what happens in many households. Furthermore, in the case of infants (which usually means up to three years), this is pretty reasonable behavior, as well as a pretty reasonable "conceptualization." I think that the less mature the child, the more reasonable this is. But, I could easily see this paragraph pretending to apply to teenaged "children" to justify "what actually happens in many households around the country..."

I should think there is an evolution of decision-making as responsibility is gained. Most 2-year-olds perhaps could not dress themselves for example (not sure of this as haven't been a parent) etc. but gradually they get to do more for themselves. The same process must work for decision-making, there will be a transfer of 'power' as the child's reponsibility and abilities grow. They come to rely less and less on their parents.

That is exactly the sort of thing that this paragraph is NOT saying, and why I am so critical of it!

Student