Race to Nowhere

performersmom
Mon, 02 May 2011 12:42:43 +0000

PelicanDad,
St Paul’s has done the same thing. It started with Winter Term a few years ago.
Nice for the kids!
Private day schools seem to all start by 8:00am, though, and often do require a commute of 15-30 min. So these kids do have to get up very early. Many sleep on the way to school.
(I have had one of each!)
Those first period classes can be really tough…
There is so much pressure on kids (and families) who DO have the resources- it is insane. The kids at BS are in some ways protected from all the “infinite” options that being home can offer. But I do think it harms their chances of getting into tippy top colleges- their EC’s are much less unique and varied. Even though they are so busy, and, unlike many local private HS kids, very self-determined in a their pursuits, which I am not sure the college AdComms really appreciate.
Anyway, there is pressure everywhere now- this very board is a product of that and breeds it, too LOL.
But I am a huge fan of having teens be busy. Down-time is very important, but not too much of it. Being productive and pursuing interests in a social arenas is optimal for their needs and desires.
It good to see a kid develop a sense of when too much is too much, when it is time to take a break, spend some alone-time, to change gears. And also to develop self-discipline in order to stick to something. And to learn to defer gratification. And console themselves after disappointment. And figure out who they are. Basically, these are more likely to happen at BS. But it is risky- because they actually NEED to learn these things just to survive. A kid at home can get by without ever learning these things.