We all want to be ethical parents. But in this day in age just how hard is it to lead by shining example? The answer, according to an article in New York Magazine, is harder than ever.
We want the absolute best for our kids, but in tight economic times, and ever increasing desire for one-upmanship, writer Lisa Miller argues that though most parents believe in ethics in theory, helping their kids get ahead trumps all.
"Ever since Noah installed his own three sons upon the ark and left the rest of the world to drown, protecting and privileging one’s own kids at the expense of other people has been the name of the game. It’s what parents do,” writes Miller.
Sadly, a 2009 Josephson Institute of Ethics survey of people under 17 found that half of them weren't above lying and cheating to get ahead, compared to just under 20 percent of those aged between 25-40.
Survival of the fittest? Or is it merely a dichotomy between Country Mouse, City Mouse, as
this article in Slate suggests?
While New York City may be perceived as "cutthroat," parenting outside of the metropolis may be a more humane experience where there is less competition for decent schooling, etc.
“The urge to ferociously protect kids in an environment of scarce resources is not a modern impulse but an animal one,” writes Miller, though that argument doesn't wash with this blogger.
Is it possible to raise ethical kids in the city? 
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