Part-time Parents

Thank you, Daniel Akst, for the playful, provocative rebuttal to the contemporary, foolish experiment with part-time parenting, (Editorial Pages, Dec. 17), “From Instant Child to Instant Childhood--It’s a Miracle!” But don’t tell me there’s no way to raise children on the quick. There are infinite variations on the techniques of neglect which have long passed as acceptable parenting. Mr. Akst describes one (common) way in which one notices the kid when he is 5 years old, again when he is 10 and finally again when he is 15 (probably only because he has resorted to spiky, pink hair in order to get the attention.)

Yes, it is possible to raise children as a sideline to a career. The question is: for what? Why would one want to grow old admitting that that paranoid, emotional vacuum is “my son” or “my daughter?”

JOHN A. NILSEN

Los Angeles