Thursday's story was a stark evocation of a woman in the midst of a beating by her husband. They say that parenthood is about choosing your battles. So is childhood. The only difference is that parents can choose from a more extensive set of weapons than children.
Parents have words.
They have money. They have brute strength. They have power. Children are like occupied territories. Their claims to autonomy often exist at the whim of what can seem like imperial potentates who set their bedtimes, choose their clothes, control their whereabouts and set their limits.