Good point that there has to be some kind of decision about each skill. I should clarify I am not asking for us to be great at every single thing.

But at least have that debate in your head. Is this a skill I want to put time into improving?

And “nobody else cares” shouldn’t be a _major_ part of that argument.

Our school doesn’t teach them to print legibly. That’s my point. I’ve seen his homework and sometimes it borders on illegible.

> And “nobody else cares” shouldn’t be a _major_ part of that argument.

I disagree. Nobody else caring is a strong indication the skill isn't that valuable. If nobody else cares and he can't see a reason to care himself then why would he decide it's a skill he wants to put time into improving?

Tbh it sounds like your son has considered the merits and decided it's not a skill worth working on. You just disagree.

Agreed. I have limited time in my day. If I spent too much on things nobody else cared about, I would be wasting a lot of time.

This would translate to other more important tasks not getting done.

I think you've taken it too far—it's not just that others don't care for it but that he also doesn't. Doing something that you care about but others don't isn't necessarily a waste of time.

> I disagree. Nobody else caring is a strong indication the skill isn't that valuable. If nobody else cares and he can't see a reason to care himself then why would he decide it's a skill he wants to put time into improving?

Hmmm didn't think about it that way. Definitely a more practical approach.

I'm not sure I understand your position here. If he doesn't care about his handwriting, and his school doesn't care about his handwriting, what's the point of improving it?

I honestly can't think of the last time I wrote anything down except my signature, and I doubt this trend is going to reverse.

I was trying to make a bigger point (using handwriting as one example) of having an innate sense of wanting to do better quality work in whatever you do. Maybe having the entire population with bad handwriting will push us faster into digital forms.

But as many have stated, maybe I'm just a cranky old dad and things will work themselves out with things he's genuinely interested in. :-)

Writing is extremely important. First google result,

Writing is an invaluable tool for exercising our cognitive faculties. Extensive and diverse research has suggested links between writing and mental capacities in such domains as memory, critical thinking, creativity, verbal skills, and overall health.

Keep encouraging it.

But here the thing, to your son handwriting isn't work, it's not something to take pride in, it is a chore, it is toil with little point or reward.

If you want him to engage in an activity, you need to show that it has some value, any value at all.

Taking pride in pointless activity is, well, pointless.