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以下的话我自己忍不住读了好几遍,很有感触。
Many parents have been led to believe that if their child excels in school and in sports at a very early age, she or he will grow up to be a more successful adult. By getting a “head start,” their children will have an advantage in what they perceive to be a highly competitive world. The thinking goes:
• The road to success is through scoring goals and acing tests (the child with the most blue ribbons and the highest grades wins).
• By “accelerating” their children’s development, parents can ensure a more successful future for them.
• That as parents, they — and they alone — are responsible for determining their children’s futures.
• If they don’t do “whatever it takes,” their children will not succeed.
I call these well-intentioned but often misplaced expectations the “superkid” myths — defining success not in terms of happiness, but in terms of being better and having more than the other guy. The result of these myths is that no longer can children just be; they must do. Childhood today has become a dress rehearsal for adulthood, and, for many children, life has become a great big competition. A race to walk and talk earlier than the other infants.
To get into the best preschool. To be a star at Little League. To participate in the most activities. To excel. To win. To be the most “above-average” child in the history of children. To have a résumé, upon entrance into first grade, that will guarantee a place in the best high school, the best college, and later, in the best corporation/law firm/medical practice.
But what are kids really winning when they’re losing out on childhood? There are millions of adults out there who are tired of the rat race, and they didn’t start racing until they were at least in their twenties. How long can today’s children be expected to love life when they start racing before they’re even toddling?
The good news is that things are beginning to turn around. Many of today’s parents have begun to realize that they’ve taken on too much — and that maybe they needn’t worry so much. If you haven’t yet gathered the courage to step off the race track that life has become, or to simply change course — if you still worry that your child will fall behind, or won’t find him– or herself or a path to a worthy future — perhaps you can take comfort, if not from a trust in Mother Nature, then from the expertise of those who’ve studied such matters. Research confirms that babies are born with the desire to learn, to discover what they’re passionate about, and to achieve their goals.
There is also evidence that children who haven’t been over-pressured, over-nurtured, or overindulged have greater life skills than those who grow up having things done for or pushed upon them. And, best of all, much of children’s development is ensured and enhanced by play and physical activity! |
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