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[quote=Anonymous]There are different kinds of smart.
There are different kinds of athletic.
There are different kinds of artistic.

The problem with issuing a proclamation about what a kid is it isn’t is that kids aren’t done yet, and also we (their parents, but adults in general) don’t know as much as we think we do.

The PPs mentioning ADHD or learning disorders (like dyslexia) are spot on. Those kids, even now, get labeled as “not smart”. Even if no one ever says that out loud, and even if the adults revognize the issue and pursue treatment, society will make that kid feel not smart because they may need something other than the boilerplate education in order to succeed.

The real underlying value judgement in all of these is “that kid does not conform to my expectations of smart/athletic/artistic.” I got labeled unathletic as a child because I was small and I didn’t like soccer (too much running). As an adult, I’m an avid hiker who teaches fitness classes as a side job.

I’m not saying that everyone is smart or athletic or artistic, but most adults are crap at evaluating those things. And a keen interest in school, sports, or the arts will go further towards success in any of those endeavors than the kind of natural talent that people like to point out in a little kid. Heck, I would bet cash money that a lot of kids who become interested in these things do so in large part because they’ve been told they have a natural affinity for it.

And that’s why you should tell kids they aren’t smart, or athletic, or artistic. Because you don’t know! Let the kid figure it out. That’s what life is for.[/quote]

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