What do you consider successful outcomes in life?

[Anonymous]

I want DS to have an enriching, interesting, supportive journey from K-12. I want him to reach his fullest intellectual potential during those years.

Then I want him to attend a university or college that is in the top 15 for his particular area of interest.

[[I can't say what that is right now, in 6th grade. There may not be overlap among schools WRT majors -- i.e., Williams is probably not the very best school for aeronautical engineering. Columbia U. maybe not the tops for agricultural science and technology. CalTech ... not for creative writing.]]

Then, I want him to evolve in a fulfilling career that occasionally fascinates him and always sustains him.

Ultimately, I want him to have the broad critical thinking skills that would allow him to switch careers if he desires.

I want him to earn enough salary to buy everything he needs and a lot -- but not all -- of what he wants during the course of his lifetime.

[Anonymous]

Sucess = grandchildren

[Anonymous]

My child doing something that makes her heart sing, while surrounded by positive, supportive, passionate people, is what I would consider a success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I want DS to have an enriching, interesting, supportive journey from K-12. I want him to reach his fullest intellectual potential during those years.

Then I want him to attend a university or college that is in the top 15 for his particular area of interest.

[[I can't say what that is right now, in 6th grade. There may not be overlap among schools WRT majors -- i.e., Williams is probably not the very best school for aeronautical engineering. Columbia U. maybe not the tops for agricultural science and technology. CalTech ... not for creative writing.]]

Then, I want him to evolve in a fulfilling career that occasionally fascinates him and always sustains him.

Ultimately, I want him to have the broad critical thinking skills that would allow him to switch careers if he desires.

I want him to earn enough salary to buy everything he needs and a lot -- but not all -- of what he wants during the course of his lifetime.

Why not a salary that affords him ALL of his wants and needs?

[Anonymous]

I feel the same as the PP. It is good to want, to reach for things and get some but not all of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel the same as the PP. It is good to want, to reach for things and get some but not all of them.

Why not?

[Anonymous]

It's like being a kid at Christmas. If you know you'll get everything on your list or, worse, can't think of anything to want-- it's not exciting. It's a great feeling to have to work for something, and to know you might not get it.

I don't think I would be very happy if I knew I could have anything, anything at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This board seems so competitive, that it makes me wonder what you consider successful beyond college? So, say your star private schooler gets into a top university (Harvard, Stanford, etc...) but then decides to be a teacher, does that count and make your tuition payments worth it? Or do they forever need to be at a certain income level or career to qualify as successful and justify that extra 360k in private school tuition? Just curious. Obviously for some money is no issue (my dd is in school with many like that), but for those where that money would make a difference, what are your honest expectations for the ultimate outcome, and do you think you will be upset if after all the investment your child decides to just bum around as an adult or have a low paying career/job? 360k invested over time is also clearly worth more in future dollars. Or is the experience alone along the way enough to justify the cost?

which is why paying that kind of money for that kind of education is financially STUPID.

[Anonymous]

If you're part of the Catholic Mafia, happiness is:

1. Putting a Catholic HS bumper sticker on your car;

2. Sending your son/daughter to any college (doesn't really matter as long as you have that Catholic HS bumper sticker);

3. Making sure you find a job for him/her in DC; and

4. Securing a junior country club membership for him/her at Congressional or Columbia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me, the experience along the way is enough to justify the cost. That is exactly why we do private school.

+1. At this point (my kids are still in elementary school), I'm much more concerned with the day-to-day experience that private schools offers over public than I am with any life outcome.

Ultimately, for me, a successful outcome will be if my children are happy adults who are able to provide themselves with financial security. Financial security doesn't = being wealthy. It means being able to pay their bills and have at least a little saved for a rainy day. If they can achieve that with a low paying job, then that's great, as long as they're happy and feel fulfilled. I'm not sending them to school with the expectation that it will translate into them being Wall Street wizards. I'm sending them to private school because I think it offers a happier, more well-rounded and fun experience. The education they would receive at our MoCo is probably equally as good, but it's not nearly as rich.

[Anonymous]

Being able to afford Arlington so I have walkability

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sucess = grandchildren

+1. Agree. My three daughters all went college and have good jobs. I had a fulfilling career and am in a happy marriage. But what has made truly happy is that my children are wonderful parents and I have wonderful grandchildren. I am so happy I had kids early enough that I can be a very active grand parent. It is my greatest joy. I would never say this in public but I feel very sorry for my friends whose kids don't have kids yet

[Anonymous]

My grandmother had 34 grandchildren and I eould say 1/2 are addicted to drugs and 1/4 are in prison. She always talks about how proud she is of them for the progress they make to get clean no matter how many times they fail. Me well I'm the only normal one with a college degree and a job and I don't think she is as proud of me as she is of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sucess = grandchildren

+1. Agree. My three daughters all went college and have good jobs. I had a fulfilling career and am in a happy marriage. But what has made truly happy is that my children are wonderful parents and I have wonderful grandchildren. I am so happy I had kids early enough that I can be a very active grand parent. It is my greatest joy. I would never say this in public but I feel very sorry for my friends whose kids don't have kids yet

My mom seems happiest in her role as grandma. I wonder if I will be the same.

[Anonymous]

Raising children who learn that choosing a path that results in a career where loving what they do is enough.