Your argument would be compelling, Wren, except that kids are different, and now the OP's already-shy child has a memorable failure under her belt. She certainly doesn't seem to have been well-prepared for her disastrous outing. Having been a shy kid myself, I don't think that she will magically be better off next time by being humiliated the first time. Putting it in terms of your chosen book, I guess, putting a child in a situation she's not prepared for, resulting in failure, doesn't count as developing social intelligence.

Last edited by Iucounu; 09/09/10 10:08 AM.
Striving to increase my rate of flow, and fight forum gloopiness. sick