Right. The problem then becomes, if you happen to live in one of those attractor locations, and have a child who is HG+, the clamoring to make MG children LOOK like HG+ ones is even fiercer-- because all of the parents are fantastically ego-driven with respect to their own intellectual prowess, and they have no problem at all living through their kids. It can really, get UGLY for those kids.

(And no, I don't just mean the HG+ ones. Imagine being MG and having mom and dad leaning on you to be more like my kid all the time, and shaming you when you just can't...)

I know a lot of Amy Chua's, in my RL. We're (geographically) a long, long way from the Ivies, and boy howdy do they cast a LONG, long shadow out here. It's really toxic and pervasive. My DH-- mine mind you, publically schooled and proud-- was a teeeeeeeensy bit miffed that DD didn't bother following through with applications at Reed, HMC, and MIT. Maybe Cornell and Princeton, which were also on her short list at one time or another.

Why? Well, so that he could "share" her acceptances at work.

sick NOBODY is immune to this when your kid is in high school. There is this parental culture of shaming that happens now in zip codes like mine. It's truly crazy.


Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.