Why aren’t you having your kids (1) play alone (2) take the bus (3) cut back on after school activities. He’s 10?! He can travel alone. Quit being such a helicopter.
This seemed like a combination of personal anxieties and general trends all over the country. Our kids and most of our friends have their kids take public transport or walk to and from school, park and activities from fifth grade. If anything they seem freer and less structured than their suburban peers.
We agree that freedom and independence are positive aspects of NYC! However, at the same time, there are built-in parental guardrails when kids need there parents to drive them somewhere - although maybe ubers have changed the game everywhere? Appreciate your thoughtful comment!
It would be interesting to include Manhattan private school teachers - preschool, elementary, and high school - in this conversation, to learn about the expectations on them (does the intense pressure result in better outcomes for the kids?) and their pay scales as well; and to compare the expectations, culture, and pay to public schools - where IEPs are required to be followed and teachers are paid more. so much is about the name and environment when it comes to private schools… prestige sells. I speak as a parent and former school teacher.
tutoring can be helpful. intrinsic self confidence is best. independent thinking is supreme - that comes with unscheduled time to let the mind roam - and this is quite dangerous from the view of the status quo.
I've got 2 kids in NYC private school. The Bubble Struggle is real.
I’ve never joined
Why aren’t you having your kids (1) play alone (2) take the bus (3) cut back on after school activities. He’s 10?! He can travel alone. Quit being such a helicopter.
We agree and love alone play time! Also a big fan of the school bus but it ends in 5th grade!
Traveling alone in New York City is different than other areas - we also don't have to be so judgmental of other parents!
This seemed like a combination of personal anxieties and general trends all over the country. Our kids and most of our friends have their kids take public transport or walk to and from school, park and activities from fifth grade. If anything they seem freer and less structured than their suburban peers.
We agree that freedom and independence are positive aspects of NYC! However, at the same time, there are built-in parental guardrails when kids need there parents to drive them somewhere - although maybe ubers have changed the game everywhere? Appreciate your thoughtful comment!
It would be interesting to include Manhattan private school teachers - preschool, elementary, and high school - in this conversation, to learn about the expectations on them (does the intense pressure result in better outcomes for the kids?) and their pay scales as well; and to compare the expectations, culture, and pay to public schools - where IEPs are required to be followed and teachers are paid more. so much is about the name and environment when it comes to private schools… prestige sells. I speak as a parent and former school teacher.
The parental anxiety (often manifesting as class anxiety) impacts both the children and those who teach and support them
tutoring can be helpful. intrinsic self confidence is best. independent thinking is supreme - that comes with unscheduled time to let the mind roam - and this is quite dangerous from the view of the status quo.
We couldn't agree more!
I see school itself changing out of the arms race scarcity mindset into the cooperation for the good of all, including the monetarily wealthy.