Thursday, March 26, 2009
Endgame
Really, whatever happened to happy mediocrity? Hilary Meyerson wishes for a dollop of good old-fashioned averageness for her children in this era of hyper-competitiveness and goal-driven recreation.
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12 comments:
I'm with her. I just want my daughter to be happy and healthy.
Nicely said. I've occasionally wished soccer parents would go and play a half to see what it's like to run about after a ball on a large field. It's tougher than it looks (and no, the rest of a kid's life doesn't depend on the outcome of weekend soccer). Bravo to the adults to took a beginner dancing class. Sometimes we forget that the whole point is simply ... Joy!
Touché Hilary. Nicely written. Henry and Harper are fortunate to have you rooting for their happiness.
Our society promotes and celebrates athletic and intellectual success at an early age. We often forget to just have fun. Very well written articel and point well taken. I passed this on to many friends and fellow parents.
I think the game of uber achievement has much more to do with the parents and what they think is expected of them, not their children. I wish there were more value placed on having many and varied skills. I make a living doing a couple of things well, but I have so many more interests and hobbies. I say expose them to as much as you can (afford) to, and be happy that they take an interest in any of them.
I loved this essay so much! We started a movement here in Austin called Slow Family Living and it's all about this same idea that what we are and what we are doing as parents is enough. Too many of us feel like we're not doing enough, providing enough, being enough for our kids. The emphasis is on always doing, doing, doing when really, especially for a kid, and for a family, just being - together and on our own - is what we need. Thanks so much for this great piece.
I loved this essay, loved that the blogger didn't feel the need to imply that her kids turned out to be "the best" at something in spite of her and the insight at the end, that this escape and happiness are what she wants for her kids really hit home with me. Cheers for the adult dancers! Sometimes it's more fun to try sports in middle age when the bar is a lot lower.
Thank goodness for parents like you! Our kids are pressured in so many ways to grow up so quickly and take on "adult" roles and responsibilities. I think what the author is providing her children is a safe, happy childhood where the children are free to play, learn, grow, and develop with joy and love. Don't most parents think kids grow up too quickly...yet these are the ones pushing children into competitive sports, mini-adult clothing, and achieving top grade in elementary school. What a gift to give children to just let them be kids. Bravo!
Amen. Mediocrity used to be the name of the game when I was a kid. And chores. And lying on the ground staring at clouds, or turning cartwheels. I'd like to know when all the craziness started. Was it increasingly competitive college admissions? Have our egos become too dependent upon our kids' accomplishments?
How refreshing. How insightful. How perfect for me to be reading right now when my seven year old is starting to say things like, "I'm not good at math."
Well said.
I absolutely agree that all children should enjoy their moment and have fun, however I think it is most important to show how kids how to excel and to obtain goals. Life is not always about being mediocre, it’s about achievement, growth, and determination. To give our kids the expectation that growing up you should just get by, well I think is the wrong message.
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