Reply to Square the circle: how are acceptances harder to get than ever yet basic skills are at their lowest?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]During my freshman year at Cornell in 1991, I had two professors state that the quality of students currently attending was mediocre.  We were apathetic generation that had not interest in learning.  Are we doing the same thing here?

The one issue I have seen with my child's cohort is that some are too reliant on their parents.  There is a lack of independence as parents seem to intervene at a drop of a hat.   We tried to avoid intervening unless absolutely necessary.   Our child had to fight most of her own battles.  I think she is stronger for it but whether it benefits her academically in college is unknown.  
[/quote]

I graduated in 1992.  We did not have smart phones or the internet back then.  We had to remember everyone's phone numbers. We read for pleasure. There was not rampant grade inflation. Parents weren't ruling the teachers and coaches and snowplowing everything for their kids.

IT is possible to raise kids like this---BUT it takes so much work.  Fighting against the system.  Our kids were pissed to get iphones later than everyone else.  We limited screen time. No phones or laptops in bedrooms overnight--plugged in downstairs.  Constantly battling phone time--tracking usage.  WE DID NOT HAVE PHONES IN SCHOOLS--huge distraction.

We are in the minority that our kids were self-reliant very young.  They didn't need us constantly monitoring Canvas or emailing teachers, etc. By the time they entered middle school--they were 100% self-reliant for school work and I never had to check. They brought home As. They didn't have missing assignments.

With sports--there is the same political culture.  We never talked to coaches or complained and taught our kids to self-advocate.  Did they get screwed over time and time again by the 'kiss-@sses'--sure. Cuts hurt. They learned resilience and grit and by Senior year of HS the parent favor stopped working and actual talent had to take over. Because of all of that heartache and us not sweeping in they have toughness and grit.

Things are very different nowadays.  You can't compare it to pre-iPhone/internet/litigious society/latch-key generations. [/quote]

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