Childhood, Today's Kids...and The Goonies

[Nathan Dodge]

That was sweet. I hate to disappoint you

"It's just that I'm used to you, that's all!"

 

[John in Covina]

I saw something on TV a guy mentioned an article in the newspaper that cautioned parents about over drilling their kids for the preschool interview.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I saw something on TV a guy mentioned an article in the newspaper that cautioned parents about over drilling their kids for the preschool interview.

Yeah, the right preschool can't be overlooked. Those preschool scores count a lot when trying to get into Harvard. :rofl:

 

[rue]

"It's just that I'm used to you, that's all!"

Ohhhh... I see lol

My ma couldn't get us out of the house fast enough, and the further away the better. Her favorite trick was to open a roll of pennies, take one out, throw the rest out the back door and tell us we couldn't come back in the house till we'd found all fifty.

That's a great idea! How long did it take you to catch on?

 

[C-dot]

My ma couldn't get us out of the house fast enough, and the further away the better. Her favorite trick was to open a roll of pennies, take one out, throw the rest out the back door and tell us we couldn't come back in the house till we'd found all fifty.

My mother used to say she'd give me a quarter if I stopped talking for 5 minutes... But I'm told it didn't work.

 

[LizzieMaine]

That's a great idea! How long did it take you to catch on?

About $1.96 worth.

 

[sheeplady]

I saw something on TV a guy mentioned an article in the newspaper that cautioned parents about over drilling their kids for the preschool interview.

There was a woman who sued because her child's private preschool failed to result in said child getting in a prestigious elementary school. She argued that this could lead to the child not being able to get into an ivy league school in the ultra-competitive school environment (of NYC, I believe).

 

[rue]

About $1.96 worth.

Pretty quick!

 

[C-dot]

There was a woman who sued because her child's private preschool failed to result in said child getting in a prestigious elementary school. She argued that this could lead to the child not being able to get into an ivy league school in the ultra-competitive school environment (of NYC, I believe).

She ought to research what Ivy League admissions officers consider in their candidates - Elementary school doesn't even factor in!

 

[sheeplady]

She ought to research what Ivy League admissions officers consider in their candidates - Elementary school doesn't even factor in!

The idea she argued was that in the ultra competitive educational market in NYC, a child's elementary school affects their middle school admission, which impacts their high school admission. A child's high school that they graduate from does have some implications for college.

This was a preschool that was $19,000 a year and advertised that they prepared children for the educational tests that are used to determine elementary school admissions. Her argument was that her child was not adequately prepared for the exam, which she said could have reprecussions throughout her child's life. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/nyregion/15suit.html

 

[C-dot]

The idea she argued was that in the ultra competitive educational market in NYC, a child's elementary school affects their middle school admission, which impacts their high school admission. A child's high school that they graduate from does have some implications for college.

This was a preschool that was $19,000 a year and advertised that they prepared children for the educational tests that are used to determine elementary school admissions. Her argument was that her child was not adequately prepared for the exam, which she said could have reprecussions throughout her child's life. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/nyregion/15suit.html

I find many things about that lawsuit ridiculous, but what I find most ridiculous is that this woman has already planned out her 3 year old's future. Suppose that child grows up (the horror) and doesn't want to go to an Ivy League university? What if they prefer to become a writer, a commercial artist, or a police officer? Perish the thought.

My parents weren't rich, and neither are the vast majority of parents. I was in a very competitive post-secondary market, and many of the kids in my year went on to prestigious universities from regular high schools and elementary schools (I could have, too, but I chose to go to college.) Most of them, including me, never even went to preschool. Not passing that exam won't have nearly as many repercussions throughout that child's life as her upbringing will.


ETA: I noticed shes seeking exemplary damages, which means this case has no precedent. Should be interesting to see how it turns out...

 

[sheeplady]

I find many things about that lawsuit ridiculous, but what I find most ridiculous is that this woman has already planned out her 3 year old's future. Suppose that child grows up (the horror) and doesn't want to go to an Ivy League university? What if they prefer to become a writer, a commercial artist, or a police officer? Perish the thought.

My parents weren't rich, and neither are the vast majority of parents. I was in a very competitive post-secondary market, and many of the kids in my year went on to prestigious universities from regular high schools and elementary schools (I could have, too, but I chose to go to college.) Most of them, including me, never even went to preschool. Not passing that exam won't have nearly as many repercussions throughout that child's life as her upbringing will.


ETA: I noticed shes seeking exemplary damages, which means this case has no precedent. Should be interesting to see how it turns out...

The issue I see is that she probably doesn't realize how much harder it is to get into an Ivy league university (if child so chooses) if the child does go to a top prep school. The top universities don't want to take all their students from 20 or so high schools alone. Although the admission rates for certain high schools' applicants are slightly higher, there are also more students from those select schools who are applying to those select universities- meaning that the chances of admission are probably slightly lower.

I've been involved in admissions for one of the top universities this woman is refering to. If given two students with similar SATs, grades on state tests, extra curriculars, etc. the university will often choose the non-prep school student. This is especially true if the student is from a "at need" school district. They figure that the student who does that well in a very poor school district is more likely to have "what it takes" to do well because they succeeded to the same level as a student who had multiple advantages in life.

 

[C-dot]

I've been involved in admissions for one of the top universities this woman is refering to. If given two students with similar SATs, grades on state tests, extra curriculars, etc. the university will often choose the non-prep school student. This is especially true if the student is from a "at need" school district. They figure that the student who does that well in a very poor school district is more likely to have "what it takes" to do well because they succeeded to the same level as a student who had multiple advantages in life.

Ahh, now I didn't know that! It makes sense!

 

[Weston]

I know its off-topic, but I'd say when you have kids everything changes. By this I mostly mean biologically - you're just a different person once you have kids. You can have ideas and philosophies all you like, but there is some kind of weird change that happens to people when you have little knee biters. I didn't believe this until I had them. Every day they amaze me in that they make me feel some new way I never expected.

I don't know how this will affect me letting my kids do stuff. But I know that I would go completely insane if something happened to them - and no amount of people on a message board typing could ever do anything about that. We're all entitled to opinions - but a parent's decisions are sacred: wide latitude, or tight leash, each is given to us as we see fit.

I can't tell you my philosophy on letting them run around and I've got two of em! Life is simply too tough to try to figure out all in advance and at one particular age.

 

[Nathan Dodge]

I know its off-topic, but I'd say when you have kids everything changes. By this I mostly mean biologically - you're just a different person once you have kids. You can have ideas and philosophies all you like, but there is some kind of weird change that happens to people when you have little knee biters. I didn't believe this until I had them. Every day they amaze me in that they make me feel some new way I never expected.

I don't know how this will affect me letting my kids do stuff. But I know that I would go completely insane if something happened to them - and no amount of people on a message board typing could ever do anything about that. We're all entitled to opinions - but a parent's decisions are sacred: wide latitude, or tight leash, each is given to us as we see fit.

I can't tell you my philosophy on letting them run around and I've got two of em! Life is simply too tough to try to figure out all in advance and at one particular age.

Parenting is one of the few things in this life that doesn't require a license or permit and the qualifications are merely being able to squeeze them out screaming and muck-covered into the world. Everything afterwards is just a wild improvisation of the clueless duo (or solo act) that raises them. However, all that stuff about a parent's sacred decisions are pure rubbish. Generations upon generations of parents have worried over their offspring and they always will. Someone already mentioned here that parents need to teach their children that bad things will happen, but said parents persist on putting their kids on a pedastal like some pricey antique they're afraid will break.

The bottom line is that we now live in a Nanny State that seeks not only to reign in children--who are as arrogant and filled with self entitlement, false confidence, and bad manners as any that came before them--but it's now with their parents' blessings and encouragement. If these kids are so special, intelligent, and sophisticated as so many claim they are, why not allow them to leave the planned community unattended once in awhile? How come all that intelligence and sophistication comes to nothing when it's time for "Jaden" and "Jasmine" to leave the McMansion?