Reply to Why are people here so averse to pushing their kids?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I posted this as a comment on another thread, but I think it's odd how many posters here are averse to pushing their kid and having them develop an amazing work ethic (the #1 key to success!) all because they're worried that they'll [b]harm their fragile snowflake's "mental health."[/b]

I demand that my kid (who is of fairly average intelligence -- 110 IQ) take the most rigorous classes offered at their school (a "W" school), try their best to get straight As (so far successful except for 1 B sophomore year), participate in a sport, play an instrument, work a (crappy, minimum wage) summer job, and be active in community service. DC doesn't want to do any of this (they are naturally very lazy), but I push them academically and extracurricularly because it forms a well-rounded human being. Not for the sake of college admissions, not for the sake of impressing an AO, but for the sake of developing a work ethic that'll launch them into success in college and beyond. Too many Americans these days lack a strong work ethic.

And for some reason, the parents on here think that all of this will destroy my kid's mental health. The best thing you can do for your kid's mental health is to build grit and resilience, as well as normalize failure. That's why I demand that my kid try their best at activities that are naturally outside of their comfort zone. It seems as though this is a common approach to successful and well-rounded kids; the ones who are the healthiest and happiest in DC's friend group are the ones who are pushed by their parents to do things outside of their comfort zone while normalizing failure and not being the best at everything you do. And the ones in DC's friend group with the most mental health issues are the ones with [b]coddling parents [/b]who try to shelter their kid from every potential failure while not pushing them to step outside of their comfort zone. [/quote]
With this language, it's clear you aren't interested in answers, but in telling parents how they are wrong. Might be better to just rephrase it.

Also, extracurricularly is not a word.[/quote]

Right?  This is so obviously asked in bad faith.  Like there's no middle ground between making your kid do the hardest everything and just letting them do whatever they want.  [/quote]

Listen, there's a 19-page thread that is also "genuinely curious" and "not in bad faith" asking us whether we "plan on keeping our kids masked forever to eternity." So there is a ton of leeway in mixing question and expression of judgement.
I agree with you OP.
It's perfectly fine in their own frame of reference. Rich kids don't ever need to develop a work ethic. They just need to develop a shining confident personality, perhaps boosted by a nice physique from some jock sports, and whatever plastics correction is needed by the right surgeon in time. Their parents will pay for the good school and the networking necessary to turn the good school into the high-paying job. 
If hard work ruled, we would be a healthier society with solutions to many of our problems, and we'd live on a healthier planet. 
So continue to instill a good work ethic in your kid, I'll do the same in mine, and maybe our kids will help make a difference and solve those problems. As long as our kids' work props the ego and offshore accounts of those lazy rich kids, of course.[/quote]

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