I saw the Public versus Private thread turning into a hot housing thread so thought that I would try to spin up this thread because a) it is something I worry about, b) because it may help to keep the original thread on track and c) because I find it hard to imagine that others would not be interested in this topic alone.
I saw the second guessing comment in the public vs private thread and it struck a chord with me. I tend to over think and second guess things constantly/periodically, doesn't everyone that isn't a zealot?
I agree with a lot of what Ultramarina and HowlerKarma have said wrt this. I also vividly remember a post by Dude in which he mentioned mentally bringing himself back from a precipice over this.
I my own case, I have a pretty bright daughter that I try to create life enriching opportunities for to the best of my limited ability. She is afterschooled in Maths - is this hot housing? I wonder because sometimes wrestle with this - shouldn't she be able to just through her school bag down when she gets home or should I keep her in her ZPD and avoid her learning that everything is easy so executive skills and study skills wither on the vine of her young life?
She also has 'an ear' and can pretty well tinker with a musical instrument like a recorder, xylophone or keyboard until she can make a passable tune. She also has taught herself to read music and usually just bangs out some stuff, just airs and improvisations for a few minutes on the piano to de-stress a bit when returning home from school. I do not have her in any piano lessons because ii am afraid to overcommit her time and take the fun away but by doing that am I a bad parent for not trying to help her develope an obvious aptitude?
Similarly, should I just allow her to 'work thing out on her own' and just deal with life not really relating to her age peers and barely a hand full of grade peers as something of an ugly duckling or should I try to find opportunities for her to mingle with other such ducklings and try to help her to believe that she will soar as a swan one day?
I had her take the Explore and the SCAT tests to try and qualify for some residential classes this summer - am I engineering her life too much or just being loving and supportive parent?
Surely I am not the only one here well into my umpteenth guesses never mind mere second guesses.
