Reading yannam's posts, I really get her situation and I do not think it fair that we patronize her. Like she wrote about our attitudes when our stomachs are full.
DH's college roommate, Harvard, Harvard Law, great job. wife Harvard and law too. They went to parent night at Styvescant and saw the AP math teacher. They said they were the only non Asian parents in the room. One set of parents brought a translator because they couldn't speak English. Their biggest concern was why chapters were skipped in the book. They wanted to make sure their child was learning every single thing. This HS is 31 in the country and 2nd in that National Merit Scholars list of HS's.
These parents were hungry and desperate for their children to learn everything and succeed. There was a discussion on MSNBC recently about colleges, costs, loans and they said the trend was for everyone to go to college but now, since we have limited job opportunities, that you have assess with your child whether it is worth it to go to college and for what and figure out if the loan costs bear out the training and type of job.
The reactions to yannam's posts are not practical in today's situation. Not the 60s anymore and although my concerns are a little different, I am in the same vein.
Since we have talking heads describing the lack of opportunities for our graduates and future grads, I think her concerns have basis in them and if helping her child develop stronger social skills helps her succeed, there is nothing wrong with that. It just gives her child more options.
DD wants to try for the NYCB school in April. She has closed hips and not the natural ballerina. So I told her that if she wants it, then she has to stretch everyday, starting now to train her body to lift the leg more. Maybe yannam understands more about what her child may want or not want, that she hasn't fully described and her anxiety about her ability to go after it is lost, or maybe not. But the full stomach comment made me read her posts differently.
Ren
