I agree

LA's blog post on pushing kids inspired me. She was saying that she was frustrated that kids are supposed to know how to read and write by the time they start school, and this puts way too much pressure on them.

I'm sure parents were competitive back when we were kids, but it feels like the game has changed considerably nowadays. I have had to hold back my laughter in two recent instances:

- A parent who says that she has 'art time' with her 2 month old. She shows him flashcards of famous pieces of art, and I'm sure says the artist and name of the piece. Oh good lord! No offense if you're a mom who does this, but do you really think this is going to sink in? That must have been such a pivotal moment that the kid is going to always look back fondly to the instance first saw Starry Starry Night on a flashcard when he was 2 months old.

- A parent who says her 18 month old is going to start in a soccer league. You have GOT to be kidding me! Seriously? An 18 month old hasn't mastered walking yet, much less running down a field kicking a ball. And it's competitive?

So, yes, I am the slacker of a mom who is raising her baby/toddler without flashcards and without soccer leagues before she turns 2 years old. Shall we already cross Harvard off the list?

I am a child who was pushed hard in school. My mother expected straight A's, honor society, blah blah blah. And I did it. I graduated with a 2-year college degree at 17 and a 4-year college degree at 18. Where did it get me? The same exact place it would have had I taken my time getting through high school & college and participated in the activities I wanted to participate in. So I'm not feeling why I need to push Julia like I was pushed.

However, I WILL teach her to have a good work ethic. Don't even get me started on that one. She will learn to follow through on her commitments, finish her homework, show up to school on time (which will translate hopefully to her showing up to work on time every day) every day (yes, I'm a stickler for showing up and only missing school/work if you are legitimately sick).

I do believe that parents need to work with their kids. I see a lot of parents with a hands-off approach, and they think teachers need to do all the educating of their children. I don't agree. I do think parents know their child the best. If Julia seems ready and eager, I'm happy to help her read earlier. If Julia isn't interested, I don't see pushing her into reading before she's ready & then making it not fun for her.

It's kind of like the sleeping thing. We co-slept with her for a long time. 8 months. She really didn't do well in the crib by herself for a long time, and she seemed to like sleeping in bed with us. We finally thought she was 'ready' at 8 months, and since then it's been so easy. She goes to sleep immediately (usually, particularly at night). Nighttime isn't a struggle. It could be many things that contributed, but I really think waiting til she felt a little more secure helped make that transition.

That's my main beef with this toddler room thing. Daycare is stuck on precise ages when some kids don't adjust as quickly.

So, my long-winded response to LA is that I agree. I think kids are under enough pressure, and we don't need to add to it.