%% market:: [[The Iceberg]] %% The story about Achilles mother dipping him into the River Styx and the dad coming home and freaking out about the danger of it and that freak out being the reason that his ankle didn't get submerged is a really good metaphor for parenting in general because the things that make a child happy healthy and safe are indeed dangerous, for example going to daycare and being exposed to germs means they get sick when they're little and that can be very stressful for a parent but it also leads to a higher likelihood of a strong immune system. Similarly crawling around on stairs and dependently when they're young is pretty dangerous, they could follow and hurt themselves, but also it gives them a better sense of understanding of their own bodies and means that they are more likely to have strong gross motor skills when they're older. Every time I think about the story about Achilles heel I think about how my mother in law reacts to me letting my kid go outside without sunglasses or going upstairs or how people don't let their kids get sick or eat allergies. It's such a good parenting allegory and I never realized it.