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Re:Addicted to Distraction by ThomPete on Sunday November 29, 2015 @11:43AM (#10645070)
Yes but this is something I believe kids are perfectly fine figuring out themselves rather than parents sending them to all the things they wished they had learned when they were kids :)
Re:Addicted to Distraction by spooningtamarin on Sunday November 29, 2015 @12:22PM (#10645261)
Not really. How can they figure out they love ice skating if they never tried it?

It is up to the parent to give direction to their child, not pressure them into something that they don't want but show them what is possible and out there.

Giving a child the freedom to do what it wants is probably not going to end up well in majority of cases.

Re:Addicted to Distraction by ThomPete on Sunday November 29, 2015 @01:18PM (#10645475)
Kids don't live in a vacum.

I have never told my son he should learn skateboarding, be a scientist or play music.

I didn't come out of a musical family and ended up playing music professionally for a couple of years.

No one is talk about giving them freedom to do what they want.

Re:Addicted to Distraction by spooningtamarin on Sunday November 29, 2015 @01:34PM (#10645525)
> Kids don't live in a vacum.

Sure. They don't, but when they are just starting school they still don't know much about what is possible, and out there.

> No one is talk about giving them freedom to do what they want.

Little bit of guidance won't hurt. There is nothing intrinsic in child's wishes. No one is blocking their inner genius by guiding them to pay attention to learning maths instead of painting, or dancing, or vice versa.

Re:Addicted to Distraction by ThomPete on Sunday November 29, 2015 @01:39PM (#10645536)
What do you mean they don't know what is possible? They are exposed to all sorts of of things way before they start school. Through friends, parents friends, family, media etc.

Nobody is saying guidance is bad. The point is when the guidance become constant. It's not about some innner genius, it's not even about finding what you are are good at. It's about finding the engine that will allow you to become good at something which is a combination between many factors including parents guidance.

But it's completely lacking when parent's start pushing the kids to try out may different things almost as chores.

Re:Addicted to Distraction by lfowles on Sunday November 29, 2015 @04:22PM (#10646125)
Example: I knew literally nothing about any of the engineering disciplines until junior/senior year of highschool when a careers quiz directed me towards them.
Re:Addicted to Distraction by ThomPete on Sunday November 29, 2015 @05:51PM (#10646464)
Sure how many kids that are exposed to those do you think are going to start working towards being engineers when they are 5?

There is a big difference between finding an interest and then finding a career.

Re:Addicted to Distraction by lfowles on Sunday November 29, 2015 @06:30PM (#10646624)
Ah, I see "before you start school" now..
Re:Addicted to Distraction by hashkb on Sunday November 29, 2015 @11:46AM (#10645092)
...and then becoming insecure about our talents when we become moderately successful.