What I wish for my Kids

in parenting •  8 years ago  (edited)

We all want “better for our kids” but what does that really mean? As I sit and think about their schooling, about the world they’ll grow up in and their future jobs, I’m realizing that to truly do right by them I need to do more than just wish them better. I need to define it, figure out how to measure it and work to make it happen.

No, i’m not a helicopter parent that hovers over my kids and makes sure nothing bad ever happens to them. No my kid isn’t pre-registered for some private pre-school with every second between now and then planned out and scheduled to make sure they can check all the boxes. Quite to the contrary, my kids’ lives are rather unplanned and largely consist of large chunks of playing around the house or in the yard.

Why the focus on the future then? Why care so much about what it will hold and talk about planning it in such definitive terms? That sounds like a disconnect, but I don’t think there is.

First, their age is such that their learning is and in my opinion should be child driven. I want my kids to love learning as long as possible — as in their entire life. I’m neither a Ph.D holding educator nor a teacher with years of experience, but I don’t think you need either to know that tests aren’t what a child would choose to do and are in no way fun. Unfortunately, in an effort to quantify learning and catch trends using big data analysis techniques our school systems have brought testing down to very young ages — too young in my opinion.

Second, I want to focus on the strategy, not the tactics. What I mean by that is that at a high level I want their path to be unique, but at the day to day level I don’t need to see or be the one making it unique. A great example of this is dual language immersion. My kids aren’t doing it, but if it were offered somewhere nearby where I could live then they would be. That is a very “unique” path that — especially in America — most kids don’t get and it comes with advantages. I want my kids path to be unique so that they arrive at the rest of their lives with some advantages as a result.

Why?

Because I care. Because I want more for them than what I had. Because I think this world is changing faster than our educational system. Because… I love them. I love them so much I want to give them the advantage of an educational path that in and of itself will set them apart.

This may sound trite, but I want the best for them; however, unlike generations before I believe “what’s best” is so very much in reach. If they want they can learn python from a Stanford professor and dive in to understand genetics simply because it interests them. Everything they could ever want to learn — literally every single thing — is just a click away. This is amazing. Simply amazing.

It’s also the world we live in. Right now. Today. Full stop.

More importantly, it is the world THEY will grow up in. Their success or failure in life will hinge on their willingness and ability to go out find, assess, consume and digest the knowledge they need to succeed. Don’t get me wrong — college degrees will always be there and always have a place in this world — but as technology explodes and the pace of change accelerates the ability of those institutions to keep their curricula current and relevant will become more and more of a challenge. In return, I believe those that don’t wait for the degree, that seek out knowledge using a combination of Google, MOOCs, meetups and mentors will be the ones that truly thrive.

That’s probably the most relevant phrase in this entire post — the ones that truly thrive.

That is the real “why” behind all this. That is what I want for them… what I want them to be:

The ones that truly thrive.

And I will do whatever I can to make that happen.

I promise.

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