Funny you should post this. I have been mulling this over and wondering what "achievement" I should be seeking for my child.

I was kinda a coaster. It was always important to me to get good grades, because that is how I felt in "control" -- we moved around a lot when I was growing up, and I felt helpless in other respects. But I didn't seek CHALLENGE.

I went to public high school, got top grades. Then I attended a challenging private college, assuming I would be in the middle of the pack, but graduated with over a 3.8 GPA without trying too hard. In law school, I graduated first in my class.

But I never challenged myself by taking higher level math classes, etc., that would have really been a stretch. And no one else ever challenged me, either. I was content to just do what I liked and, to be honest, I liked what came easier.

My family expected me to do my homework, but was very hands off about getting involved in schooling and certainly didn't expect A's or push me in one direction or another academically.

And, although I was voted Most Likely to Succeed in high school, some may question whether I am a "success" now. I became a partner in a large law firm and practiced law successfully for over a decade before walking away to be a stay-at-home mom (and stalwart PTO and church volunteer) five years ago. I am content and don't have angst about my decision.

Yet, objectively, I probably had potential to "accomplish" a lot more in terms of a career. Who knows? If challenged in math and science, maybe I could have taken a different career path and found the cure to cancer -- know what I mean?

Now, I have a daughter of my own and am really torn right now between putting her in an accelerated program and letting her coast in a regular classroom.

Should I be doing everything I can to set her up to find the cure to cancer, but perhaps suffer blows to her self-esteem in a class of highly capable kids? Or should I let her follow my example and sail along at the top of the regular class, even if she admits that she doesn't use her big words at school because kids don't like it and teachers don't believe she knows what they mean?

Now THAT I have angst about. Dunno...