FEEDBACK

Steve Smith is so far off base about stress and our kids today (“Advice

to parents: give back to our kids by taking a little away,” Nov. 13). Our

kids today, especially in this spoiled neighborhood of Newport-Mesa, have

absolutely nothing to worry about. They are catered to. Why doesn’t Steve

Smith look back to the history of America and maybe the history of the

world and see where 7-, 8- and 9-year-old kids had to work. Our kids have

absolutely no pressure. Their cities cater to them. The programs cater to

them. Government caters to them. Kids today are absolutely spoiled and

Steve Smith is one of the major contributors to this over-coddling of

youth that takes place in America today.

BRIAN THERIOT

Costa Mesa

I just read Steve Smith’s article. He’s talking about the percentage of

children that have cholesterol and children that are obese. I think the

biggest problem is the diet that children have. I have school-age

children in my house and a lot of their friends come over. I am amazed by

what they can eat and the kind of diet they have. I think that is a

crime. I think people should not only spend time and slow down, but also

cook for their children. That would probably bring the percentage down.

Thank you, Steve. The rest of the article was very good.

ELIZABETH FARRAGE

Costa Mesa