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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Genuine question. I don't have school aged kids yet so maybe the answer will magically present itself to me when I do, but I've been thinking about it for a long time. Life is hard. There are a ton of challenges. Why are we so focused on our kids being challenged especially in elementary school? Why don't we just want them to play? Is it that people want to give their kids the best shot of succeeding-based on our own personal standards, not the ones that our children may eventually have?
Hoping for honest nonjudgemental conversation here. I am genuinely curious. I feel like I don't want my children to be bored, but I don't necessarily want them to feel challenged either--certainly not all the time. Some of the time, yes, of they will be intolerable adults, and I do think some level of challenge is necessary for growth. But I don't think I really want my young children to feel academically challenged. It seems like life offers up more than enough non academic challenges, perhaps especially for young children who have to learn to navigate a world that can be very confusing and overwhelming.
Very curious to hear other thoughts!
[/quote]

Great question OP. I wonder this too when I hear people lamenting that their kids aren't challenged. My daughter is in 5th grade and so far school has been a breeze for her. I'm so glad she's able to finish her homework in class and come home to be free to do what she wants. Oh and she's not "bored" in school either. She finishes her assignments quickly and then moves on to what she really wants to do - read, write, or draw. I'd be thrilled if it could stay this way through high school, but I'm sure things will become  "challenging" soon enough. [/quote]

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