What is the most obnoxious or even delusional brag you have heard from a parent about her/his child?

[Anonymous]

No. Certainly not in athletic skills. There's no such thing as a gifted soccer player. It's just parents bragging about their kids because they feel insecure.


Maybe it depends on the sport. I trained in a specific sport with a future Olympian when she was in the 3rd grade, and you'd better believe that she had talent beyond anything anybody in that gym had ever seen.

ditto. I knew Andy Roddick as a young child and you would not confuse him for the typical 6 year old swatting at balls at the St. Albans summer camp.

[Anonymous]

So to get this back on track, is it different when Andy Roddick's parents brag? Are you guys saying that Andy's parents have a special license to talk factually about their kid, without being accused of bragging?

Also, I disagree that we're all just "jealous" when somebody brags. My own kids are doing really well, thank you (won't brag about how). I just think it's immature, which I should probably let go. But bragging also leads to fights on DCUM that disrupt entire conversations, and that's a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So to get this back on track, is it different when Andy Roddick's parents brag? Are you guys saying that Andy's parents have a special license to talk factually about their kid, without being accused of bragging?

Also, I disagree that we're all just "jealous" when somebody brags. My own kids are doing really well, thank you (won't brag about how). I just think it's immature, which I should probably let go. But bragging also leads to fights on DCUM that disrupt entire conversations, and that's a problem.

You don't seem willing to accept that some people actually want to hear all about the great things their friends' kids are capable of, and don't consider it bragging or immature. It is you. It really is. I also don't care if someone flagrantly brags on DCUM. Why should I be bothered by that? Who cares?

[Anonymous]

The funny thing is, when kids are advanced athletically, most people seem OK with parents sharing that informatino (even to the point of bragging.) It is socially acceptable for your kid to be gifted in athletics.

However, talk about your child being advanced in reading and math and you are a pushy obnoxious parent who MUST be lying about your child's achievements because you are insecure.

[Anonymous]

The problem is that we have a whole generation's worth of kids who think like Andy Roddicks and are not and will likely not become like Any Roddick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So to get this back on track, is it different when Andy Roddick's parents brag? Are you guys saying that Andy's parents have a special license to talk factually about their kid, without being accused of bragging?

Also, I disagree that we're all just "jealous" when somebody brags. My own kids are doing really well, thank you (won't brag about how). I just think it's immature, which I should probably let go. But bragging also leads to fights on DCUM that disrupt entire conversations, and that's a problem.

No one said anything about Andy Roddick's parents. It was someone pointing out that it is indeed possible to tell when a child has OUTSTANDING athletic talent at a young age. It doesn't all even out by the 3rd grade, as so many here like to say (athletic talent, that is).

I think academic talent causes more eye rolls than athletic talent, because it's pretty easy to see if someone is a good tennis player or not. If my parents bragged about how good i was at tennis, it would take you 3 seconds to see that they were crazy. But academically, it's harder for an outsider to assess. Sure, a 3 year old reading Shakespeare would appear to have some type of talent, but whether that translates to actually being the next Shakespeare is very much in doubt. If a 6 year old is beating Andy Roddick at tennis, then I think it would be fair to say that he might eventually be in contention to win the US Open some day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You don't seem willing to accept that some people actually want to hear all about the great things their friends' kids are capable of, and don't consider it bragging or immature. It is you. It really is. I also don't care if someone flagrantly brags on DCUM. Why should I be bothered by that? Who cares?

I totally agree that parents can and should tell their close friends about their kids' achievements. What are friends for?

I also agree with the poster who said the problem is, in this area, that almost every parent thinks her kid is the next Einstein or Andy Roddick. When in fact, as the Gladwell article points out, this just isn't true.

You'd never say something like this to your proud friends. That would be mean, and you'd be a bad friend to do so.

But when somebody comes on to DCUM to tell a bunch of strangers who don't even know their kid, that their kid is the next Einstein, of course everybody has to jump in and say something like what Gladwell said so much more articulately in the article somebody pasted above. It's not the bragging per se. It's the whole dynamic around that bragging, with the pathetic bragger leading off, followed by the chorus of "wait till she's 25" posts, that gets annoying every time it gets played out on DCUM, which is about once a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So to get this back on track, is it different when Andy Roddick's parents brag? Are you guys saying that Andy's parents have a special license to talk factually about their kid, without being accused of bragging?

Also, I disagree that we're all just "jealous" when somebody brags. My own kids are doing really well, thank you (won't brag about how). I just think it's immature, which I should probably let go. But bragging also leads to fights on DCUM that disrupt entire conversations, and that's a problem.

No one said anything about Andy Roddick's parents. It was someone pointing out that it is indeed possible to tell when a child has OUTSTANDING athletic talent at a young age. It doesn't all even out by the 3rd grade, as so many here like to say (athletic talent, that is).

So you're not very good with similes, are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eh, it doesn't bother me if someone brags about their kid. Every kid deserves a parent who thinks they are amazing.

Amen!

[Anonymous]

Thank you 10:32 for the Gladwell post. Your post is supportive of my ideal of parenting style. I want to meet my child where he/she is and be as positive and supportive as possible. I fail regularly and fall into competitive traps--but thank you for the reminder of common sense. That is what Gladwell often reminds me of: "HEY, why didn't I WRITE that common sense best seller!" Oh well, there I go I again...

[Anonymous]

No. Certainly not in athletic skills. There's no such thing as a gifted soccer player. It's just parents bragging about their kids because they feel insecure.


Maybe it depends on the sport. I trained in a specific sport with a future Olympian when she was in the 3rd grade, and you'd better believe that she had talent beyond anything anybody in that gym had ever seen.


ditto. I knew Andy Roddick as a young child and you would not confuse him for the typical 6 year old swatting at balls at the St. Albans summer camp.

so what are you saying? A 6 years who can swing a bat or a 3rd grader who is a star gymnast will be a professional athlete? In most sports, the professional start to evaluate players when they hit puberty and start to develop, like at 12-13. I knew a lot of "great" athletes in elementary school who by high school still hit great for a 6 year old.(problem was they are now 18)
Look at those European soccer clubs. They spend millions developing talent and when do the start signing? Not in the 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You don't seem willing to accept that some people actually want to hear all about the great things their friends' kids are capable of, and don't consider it bragging or immature. It is you. It really is. I also don't care if someone flagrantly brags on DCUM. Why should I be bothered by that? Who cares?

I totally agree that parents can and should tell their close friends about their kids' achievements. What are friends for?

I also agree with the poster who said the problem is, in this area, that almost every parent thinks her kid is the next Einstein or Andy Roddick. When in fact, as the Gladwell article points out, this just isn't true.

You'd never say something like this to your proud friends. That would be mean, and you'd be a bad friend to do so.

But when somebody comes on to DCUM to tell a bunch of strangers who don't even know their kid, that their kid is the next Einstein, of course everybody has to jump in and say something like what Gladwell said so much more articulately in the article somebody pasted above. It's not the bragging per se. It's the whole dynamic around that bragging, with the pathetic bragger leading off, followed by the chorus of "wait till she's 25" posts, that gets annoying every time it gets played out on DCUM, which is about once a day.

So you keep saying, but you keep talking about the "pathetic bragger" and not the pathetic people who jump all over someone and derail a thread just to prove a proud parent is delusional in thinking their kid is great. This thread isn't about the "dynamic" it's about the bragging that seems to get your hackles up.

[Anonymous]

It probably depends on the sport, and on your kid's age relative to when kids peak at the sport. Gladwell said that he was a great runner at 13 but that he was so-so by the time runners peak at about age 24. Gymnasts peak at, what, 15-18? So somebody who's good at gymnastics at age 12 seems to have a better chance at being good at the peak ages. Likewise, it's hard to make a prediction about how a 4-year-old with a WPSSI of 99.6 will fare in the adult world.

12:31 can correct me, but I think the point is that showing greatness at age 6 MIGHT lead to greatness as an adult, but there's no guarantee. For all the reasons Gladwell pointed out, like you lose interest, or you don't have the persistence to work hard at it. Or you have a psycho coach who turns you off the sport, or you get injured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So you keep saying, but you keep talking about the "pathetic bragger" and not the pathetic people who jump all over someone and derail a thread just to prove a proud parent is delusional in thinking their kid is great. This thread isn't about the "dynamic" it's about the bragging that seems to get your hackles up.

Wow, you need to do a tone check on yourself. Why all the hostility? People are trying to talk to each other here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But when somebody comes on to DCUM to tell a bunch of strangers who don't even know their kid, that their kid is the next Einstein, of course everybody has to jump in and say something like what Gladwell said so much more articulately in the article somebody pasted above. It's not the bragging per se. It's the whole dynamic around that bragging, with the pathetic bragger leading off, followed by the chorus of "wait till she's 25" posts, that gets annoying every time it gets played out on DCUM, which is about once a day.

So you keep saying, but you keep talking about the "pathetic bragger" and not the pathetic people who jump all over someone and derail a thread just to prove a proud parent is delusional in thinking their kid is great. This thread isn't about the "dynamic" it's about the bragging that seems to get your hackles up.

I'm the poster you quoted. I did actually talk about "the chorus of 'wait till she's 25' posts" and how the WHOLE DYNAMIC is annoying. I bolded it, so you can see it. Also, I'm not aware of referring to "pathetic braggers" more than once on this thread, to which I've only made a few contributions. Stop being so nasty, and get over yourself.