<p>^ Well... in developmental psychology, social interaction with like aged peers is crucial to the child's proper development. </p>
<p>In college, everyone is basically too old for that to work anymore. Cognitive development is pretty much done at that level.</p>
<p>Man I think I'm the only person on this forum who is going to be a strict parent.</p>
<p>If I have a son then he will start sports very young as well as an instrument. One of those sports will be baseball. There is nothing more important in a young boy's early developement than little league baseball, imho. Soccer is a great sport too. Pretty much any sport is cool with me, but there will be baseball in the beggining. If I have a daughter she will treated the same except no single sport will be emphasized. I will probably spend a considerable amount of my spare time practicing sports with my kids or teaching them other things. School stuff like math and science in addition to other skills. One thing my dad did with me that I loved was that he would let me help him build things and do wood working. I'd love to pass that on.</p>
<p>Either way, a single sport minimum as well as a single instrument minimum will be enforced until high school. Then they can choose wheather or not to continue sports or not. Summer camp will be mandatory until highschool as well. School will be the top priority and I will not accept anything less than the best they can possibly do. However, I will make them the promise that if they work their hardest to make something of themselves I will send them to the college of their choice no matter what it takes. Friends will be a huge priority as well, nothing is more important to kids than their friends. I'll let me kids see their friends as often as possible.</p>
<p>Hanging out with people your age is certainly important, but spending time around both older and younger peers is helpful too. If you've ever spent a lot of time around homeschoolers, you have probably noticed that age difference really doesn't matter much. You'll probably see a lot of interaction between age groups, and from what I've observed, homeschoolers are generally much more competent when it comes to talking to adults than their public school peers. That's another big advantage of homeschooling, is that the kids learn to socialize with people older than themselves, not just kids within their respective grades. And socialization between school groups is important too.... they should be able to socialize with kids that are homeschooled, public schooled, or private schooled. </p>
<p>Kids are good enough at making friends with people their own age, gender, and social group already. That's why I think it's important to put emphasis on the ability to interact with a great diversity of people.</p>
<p>this is a very interesting thread...</p>
<p>Id try to be what my parents are for the most part. I'd be sarcastic and not all that praising, i'd want them to stand on their own feet. Ill try to make sure they don't have to ask for fin aid. And i'd see if they recognize my posts on CC =)</p>
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I just question how a child whose parent views every public and private school as "a prison" will turn out.
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<p>I guess I was exaggerating a little bit. I haven't heard any ideas from you yet..</p>
<p>anyone who plans a child's future before it is born is an idiot.</p>
<p>and to the 8th grade college guy or whatever.....***?</p>
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LOl, homeschooling would be swell if I had the time, patience, and opportunity for it... hmmm, maybe I can grow uber rich and hire a team of out of work college professors as personal tutors for my future kid, and they could teach him/her for me?
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LOLOLOL, Manlius!</p>
<p>Yep!</p>
<p>Or, uhmmm, Chloe if it's a girl. ;]</p>
<p>^Lol, duh!</p>