lex, of course that's the right thing to do. It just gets annoying when pushy parents constantly want to play the comparison game. I think it's really a side effect of the ways in which the general public is becoming aware of early childhood development and educational issues, with additional feedback from the internet. I detect traces of it here sometimes. In the end it is usually a bit sad at worst, since it usually shows a parent that's simply angst-ridden more than super-competitive, and I agree that kindness is what's generally called for.
I took my DS2/3 and DS4 to the park yesterday and had a long conversation with a dad that was there with his 3.5 year old son. He was super nice, and while he got a little boastful when recounting his war stories from Iraq (I was a good listener and don't fault him), he got a sad look on his face when talking about his son's language ability, and told me he was worried that his son was behind. I am pretty sure that this happened because my son was there telling him all about the projects he's been doing lately, recounting the full plot of Iron Man 2 with all plot twists and trivia, etc. I hope I did a good job of reassuring him. It was not the first time that I've experienced the other side of the phenomenon, and each time helps prepare me for the more trying times, to remember to be humble and nice. Most parents just aren't bad people-- they're stressed and want constant feedback about where their little one is relative to everyone else.
flower, that's interesting. I wonder if the phenomenon you describe is an effect or a cause. I suspect at least a bit of the latter, as parents who care about development may tend to train or at least encourage their children into increased achievement scores.
