The constant protective aura surrounds children until they leave their parents' nest. When they enter the real world, they simply don't know how to handle calculated risks. Many parents also lack the knowledge needed to teach their children how to properly manage emotions and regulate behaviors. This lack of ability to control emotions is detrimental to the overall social health of young adults. When I read this book with my children, I like to talk about some of the negative things that were happening and connect them to things happening in my children's lives. The ability to be able to handle adversity and control emotions appropriately for a given social situation is critical to the success of the next generations as they replace us in the workforce and society. It's true that having a bad day can be discouraging. Alexander just needs to learn to be resilient and his parents need to provide more persistent consequences to break the situation