I am astonished at how many of my students find school boring and often unfulfilling. Children are naturally curious and creative and it is infuriating to see these attributes often diminished in our children as they go through school. Their ability to live up to their potential and experience the joy of their own increasing intellectual and emotional development are jeopardized.

On a practical level, employers are increasingly wanting young people who are independent thinkers and can bring enthusiasm and originality to their work rather than valuing the now old-fashioned attributes of learning rules, obeying superiors, and regurgitating information.

Of course schools encourage socialization; especially for sensitive children, the stress of always accommodating others, working in groups and pleasing the teacher, can be high. Parents tend to idealize youth and forget that difficulties are part of life from day one. The push/pull of individuality versus socialization, resolving inevitable conflicts with friends and playmates, surviving a teacher that doesn’t like them, enduring playground taunts and tussles, are all part of life at school.

Parents need to find ways to reduce these tensions. The more space and time a parent can give a child to explore *his individuality and creativity outside of school, and the more time a parent can give to listen to their child’s troubles, the more freedom the child has to discover and explore himself and his own interests.
*substitute her for your daughter