tedr:

Your Successful Preschooler 2011

Hey, Harvard Health Publication, Really? You really think focusing ‘successful’ and ‘preschooler’ is a healthy concept. Really? Can you name one successful person who ever accredited their success to being ‘confident’ and ‘socially engaged’ in preschool. 

Books like this are about as helpful a a book titled ‘Ten skills dogs need to become confident and socially engaged at the Kennel’

This book exploits premature concerns by parents who want their 3 year old to have more mature abilities and sets up children for a lifetime of feelings of inadequacy and non-appreciated by their parents. Why? Because at age 3 they are already being being guided that get their parents peak love they need to be great before their years.

Preschool is a time to first start understanding social actions and personal abilities. Not winning. I know this may put your child at risk for not getting into the top elementary school in the city, but I bet he or she’ll will still have a wonderful life that brings their parents joy.

@tedr as you’ll quickly figure out - those books are not making the kids successful or even feel successful it’s about making the parents feel good about themselves.  Kids “status” is rarely done for the kids sake and thus almost always to make the parents feel good about themselves - my kids went to Harvard thus I (not my kids) am superior.

Hopefully I raise well adjusted, happy kids who will enjoy life and contribute positively to society in whatever way they can.  That’s my definition of success.  Please lets hope they are no more status conscious then I am.