tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15298826.post115765059998832116..comments2016-05-11T16:03:19.828-04:00Comments on :: good enough ::: school lessons. life lessons.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15298826.post-1158703527585866552006-09-19T18:05:00.000-04:002006-09-19T18:05:00.000-04:00it's so interesting that you bring this up yukari,...it's so interesting that you bring this up yukari, because i've been having the exact opposite fears lately. <BR/><BR/>while i was growing up, my parents were very...overbearing - insisting on good grades and high achievements. my mom in particular did not really have parents that were active participants in her life so without any role models, she figured she should just make sure we aim high. best is best, right?<BR/><BR/>there are 4 kids in my family, and i must say we look great on paper (all 4 went to berkeley, 2 of us are lawyers, 1 a veterinarian, & 1 a brilliant musician.) it took me a long time to unlearn what my parents had subconsciously taught us throughout our lives: that "average" people with "average" goals are just not as good as the intellectuals in the world. what i started noticing after college is that most of those "other" people are in fact doing very well in life and, more importantly, are well-adjusted (something I can't say about myself to this day.) <BR/><BR/>snapping back to the present, my main goal with alden has always been to make sure he's well-adjusted. but will i be swinging the pendulum too far in the other direction? i don't teach him colors and numbers, i don't read to him every day, i don't point to every single thing he sees in the world to offer him an expanded vocabulary. granted, he's not even 8 months old yet, but i figure i have to have a plan at some point. part of me assumes that with my genes & dean's genes combined, the kid's gotta turn out relatively bright. but how much of intelligence is <I>learning</I> vs. <I>being taught</I>?<BR/><BR/>for now i'm content to simply encourage him explore his ever-growing universe and make sure his needs are met, but these thoughts do linger in my mind.<BR/><BR/>anyway, thanks for opening the discussion on a very pertinent mommy topic.Krimeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09002574969738009969noreply@blogger.com