This is a very interesting topic. I guess I am guilty of "hot housing" my second child because he had to test to get into the magnet school I have my older child in and I worked with him on a variety of things to get him ready for the test. I just couldn't have my kids at 2 different schools!!! :-) But I also wonder if I could have taught him those things if he wasn't capable of learning them. Just because you work with a kid on some things doesn't mean they will understand or retain those things.

Other than that I am definitely not a "hot houser". My kids have no interest in things other than what they have an interest in. My DS9 became obsessed with airplanes and could tell you everything about how they worked and about all the different kinds, when he was 3 so I went with this interest and we read books, watched shows, etc. but that was totally driven by him. I tried to get my kids interested in more "academic" type things when they were young but they just weren't into it so I never pushed. I've always just tried to go with their interests. With my DS6 we are currently doing a Magic School Bus science kit and he is loving it!!! But again, it was his idea. He just loves those things.

One thing I struggle with is knowing when to push. If I am certain my child is capable of doing more but he isn't interested in doing more, then do I push?? I don't because I don't want the conflict from pushing when there is no interest. But, sometimes you do have to push because they do have to do things they don't always like doing. This is the part that I think is difficult. Knowing when to push and when to back off.