I just interviewed a young lady who’s applying for college. It’s always a challenge for me to assess how mature and competent these kids are “supposed” to be. My memory of my own college interview amazes me – I asked a variety of idiotic questions that utterly assumed I’d be accepted. I’m surprised they didn’t reject me just based on that.
The interview form asks if the kids have any significant barriers to achievement in their lives. This is intended to reflect things like physical handicaps, financial hardship, etc. But sometimes I’m tempted to say “this child has a significant barrier to development in that she has had an utterly wonderful, sheltered life in which she’s never wanted for anything. She can’t possibly have developed any coping skills because she’s never had to cope with anything!”
How do you raise your kids to feel secure and loved and yet give them the drive to develop competence?
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