Let kids be AVERAGE !!

Why can't we let our kids be just AVERAGE??? I see too many parents pushing their kids to strive for first place, boasting about how intelligent and studious their kids are, how they topped the class/subject, scored the highest, got into top selective schools etc. Why can't parents accept average as a sign of normalcy? Average isn't the same as "failing" !! 

Parents need to learn that if we keep pushing our kids to be above average, towards near perfection all the time, then we are, in fact, pushing them to the cut-throat competitive rat-race and at times to a miserable failure (if kids can't cope with the pressure). Also in real world, geniuses don't make up the majority of the population! Why then are we set to fail our kids forcing them to accept only high grades and standards only to learn that average scoring kids can also make something of themselves? 

My son is an average student. He's never interested in studies, he refused to sit on "selective" test and I didn't even question his decision. As long as he isn't doing terribly badly, I'm not going to imply that he's doomed for failure. In saying that he scored second highest in his class. That certainly isn't just average to me despite his lack of interest in studies. I wasn't an extraordinary student either, yet I have managed to succeed exceedingly well in my career and life. So what is wrong in being an average student then ??? Why aren't we teaching kids "average" is as good as anything? 

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