I totally agree that options taken, can cut off paths. But I also think kids can find their own way.
I come from a small Canadian city, whose medical/enginnering parents thought that medicine or engineering were the ways. Particularly as they came post depression and WW2 from Europe. But after doing the engineering thing in college, I never worked as an engineer but went straight to Wall St. Don't even know how that happened. But I did always want to play "executives living in NYC" as a child, as my long time friend reminded me. So my path was somehow wired in.
DH knew a woman in college who was obsessed with learning Chinese, spent a summer in China learning how to write the script. She went to law school and became highly successful doing deals in China. A blond, American whose parents never pushed her towards this path.
I think if you give them options, they will find what they want. But I think giving them options is part of what we are talking about in how we educate them. But opening up options to all children is a good thing.
This went off tangent I think from ability/achievement.
Ren
