I have to say that I'm not convinced that the "Lisa" model is necessarily a bad thing for a child 8-10 years of age at this point in time and human history.
Workplace change has been so rapid-- for example, DD had envisioned becoming a research professor as her de facto career path, until she (and we) realized that with most public institutions running more and more toward adjuncts-as-faculty, the tenure model may really and truly be gone in twelve years when she is there.
So in some respects, I'm glad that she's more flexible than that. I would NOT have predicted the whole.sale (sorry--it's to get around the netnanny) move toward adjunct teaching even at state flagships and tier one institutions even five or six years ago, and I'm pretty well in tune with that environment. The speed of that transition has been breathtaking, frankly.
Taking the most demanding coursework available without failing to develop a well-rounded appreciation for other areas of study-- that's the ideal that we've attempted to communicate to DD as keeping the most options open. EVERYONE needs scientific and communications literacy skills, and everyone needs numeracy. The deeper and more expert those skills, the better. No matter where you wind up, that much is true.
Developing individual passions is a second pillar of our approach. Sure, they may not be truly viable career paths, but why on earth would I stop my 10yo from drawing Pokemon creatures if that makes her happy? I don't consider that kind of time "wasted." I mean, why play chess for that matter-- it's not as though very many people are going "pro" at that.
Last edited by HowlerKarma; 06/09/14 10:47 AM.
