"My kid got her letter from NMSC the other day-- she scored in the top 50K on the PSAT!"
"She landed a competitive internship that she really wanted! I'm thrilled for her!"
"She's loving AP Physics now that she's past mechanics-- I'm so happy that she's found something that really lights her up like that."
"She is working with her older dog at Novice level obedience now and they are doing SO well. I hope that she continues to do Freestyle with the dog, too. They are such hams for a crowd!"
That kind of thing. It isn't that I avoid discussions of academics-- I just try to avoid direct one-upsmanship. THAT is offensive no matter who is doing it.
Dear HK, some of the achievements you mentioned above are not like the others, and you know it. Some parents, even those who do not know who Charles Murray is, have the following thoughts (deliberately exaggerated) when you talk:
High PSAT = high IQ. Liking physics = high IQ. High IQ = success. My child got a low PSAT score and does not like physics. Low IQ = failure.
(The equal sign really means "has a positive correlation with".)
