I would never want a job for either my spouse or for me that required us to work so much that we weren't able to enjoy evenings and weekends with our kids and each other just being a family. I don't care how much money/success this job would bring. The trade-off would not be worth it. Instead, I work pt and DH is home by 6:30 most evenings and almost never works on the weekends. We earn enough to live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood, send our kids to private school, save for retirement and college, take nice vacations and have a lifestyle that, while not totally lavish, allows us to not have to watch our pennies. Sure, we could both work more and earn more, but we prefer our time over the extra money and prestige we could earn.

By the same token, I want my kids to enjoy their lives and childhoods. I trust our well-regarded private school to teach them math at an appropriate level. If they fall behind, we'd certainly hire a tudor, but I will not consider enrolling them in Kumon or anything else so they can get ahead. I don't see the point and I honestly don't understand the thinking behind this kind of mentality. I don't think my kids will ever resent me for not pushing calculus at an earlier age. I would be concerned that they'd resent me for filling their childhoods with work.

I have read the boards on this topic and some posters tease these frantic and desperate posters. It very obvious why these posters are up in arms? Check the pedigree ... Big 3 and Yale. In sociology and anthropology circles we call this the fear of the increasing noise from the pounding hooves gaining on them in the background. Posters are very concerned their children will not enjoy their entitlements of yesteryear because of the invasion of "Kumon kids". This drives them absolutely bonkers as they go around and around in circles bashing and rationalizing their choices. They would prefer other kids did not do Kumon, prep for tests, or study all the time so their kids can have "fun and play", vacation and go to the country club en route to Big 3 and the Ivies.

Yes, I have read the boards too like you and some posters do make a lot of sense. Sorry if I do not reference all of them by footnote. Not worth the trouble. Keep on with your speculations. Why do parents who do not use Kumon for their kids make the most noise? When kids get to Carnegie by 8th Grade or on the Pro Scouts radar no one makes this type of fuzz. Kumon has been around for 50 years (math curricula and schools come andgo with the trade winds).Kumon parents must quietly marvel at all the attention you give them. Please keep it up since given the backlash from posters like you Kumon will certainly be around for another 50 years!

Anonymous wrote:

Not saying my class or residential college, sorry, don't want to identify myself. Nice straw man --- "its legal." As if anyone is saying otherwise. The thing is back in the day most of us didn't have our parents providing "help guidance or direction," unless we hit some kind of roadblock and needed extra help. My parents didn't choose my high school classes, didn't have parent-teacher conferences, and didn't oversee my homework. If my grades were fine, they didn't need to. I didn't know a single child whose parents sent them to Kumon, or tried to get them to do calculus by 8th grade, and I grew up here and attended a big 3 school. My guess is that most of the folks on these boards had a similar childhood, without parents pushing them ahead. Honestly, I think we were better off. If your child isn't "self-directed," as you say, they aren't going to get that way with you doing the directing. Kids become self-driected when they, um, direct for themselves. Which is my point.

We are in the 21st century and I'm sure you will disagree with me ... I doubt you would ever get into Yale today (from a statistical perspective). I certainly would not have. In the last century most of us did not even know what the SAT was until the 10th grade in high school (I certainly did not) much less Kumon. But much has changed and my 21st kids do not know what a slide rule or type- writer is (just as in my day, I did not know what a computer was or video games). But, if 21st century kids in the D.C. area are doing Kumon, violin drills or lacrosse drills why should it bother you? Expose you kids to what pleases you ...or not.. laissez faire style like your parents. That's your call. It's legal. The parents of the Kumon child doesn't fret as much about your choices for your kids as you fret about them. I wonder why?

Anonymous wrote:[ But, if 21st century kids in the D.C. area are doing Kumon, violin drills or lacrosse drills why should it bother you? Expose you kids to what pleases you ...or not.. laissez faire style like your parents. That's your call. It's legal. The parents of the Kumon child doesn't fret as much about your choices for your kids as you fret about them. I wonder why?

I would change schools if my expensive private school wouldn't teach my child math and my best option is to spend more money to send him for more hours to a storefront in a strip mall. Why would you except this from the school?

Not saying my class or residential college, sorry, don't want to identify myself. Nice straw man --- "its legal." As if anyone is saying otherwise. The thing is back in the day most of us didn't have our parents providing "help guidance or direction," unless we hit some kind of roadblock and needed extra help. My parents didn't choose my high school classes, didn't have parent-teacher conferences, and didn't oversee my homework. If my grades were fine, they didn't need to. I didn't know a single child whose parents sent them to Kumon, or tried to get them to do calculus by 8th grade, and I grew up here and attended a big 3 school. My guess is that most of the folks on these boards had a similar childhood, without parents pushing them ahead. Honestly, I think we were better off. If your child isn't "self-directed," as you say, they aren't going to get that way with you doing the directing. Kids become self-driected when they, um, direct for themselves. Which is my point.

Anonymous wrote:

The premier American universities and colleges at the next level no longer require a high school diploma to matriculate recognizing our public school systems are antequated for the 21st century. Unaccommodating public school systems are increasingly losing these kids and others behind them to other challenging alternative educational options. And it's great there are pathways to our great universities that do not require an outmoded cookie cutter public school high school education.

Huh? based on what? I suspect most of the kids at the top colleges are from public schools. Do you have numbers to back this up?