Originally Posted by JonahSinick
@ Val — I hesitate to question the optimality of your daughter's choice of activities without solicitation & hope you'll forgive me if it's unwelcome, but have you and her thought about whether spelling bee preparation is the best use of her time?

I recognize that gifted children are often involved in spelling bees, and that there may be social benefits to being involved even if the activity isn't the most valuable in the abstract.

Honestly? You've overstepped your bounds and (more importantly) missed the point of your own thread.

My husband and I encourage our children to make their own decisions. If they don't learn this process now, when will they?

Just as importantly, if an adult comes along and dismisses a child's choice to excel in a particular competition that the adult doesn't value personally, the message is clear: Girl, you don't know how to make good decisions. Let me show you a better way. . In a situation like this one, this approach directly feeds into the lack of confidence that your thread brings up. Think about that.

You've brought up an important idea (how to increase confidence), but in this context at least, your response to a child's goals gives the impression that you haven't fully thought the idea through. smile