Let's all back off a bit... for our kid's sake

Response to a column from The West, 2 April 2005, p.18:

The columnist, Hugh Mackay, is worried that our children are being pushed too hard. There is so much "early intervention", he writes, that the children have no time to just be children. "The best preparation may not be to push our children too hard, but to encourage them to grow at their own pace..."

Well, my wife and I have done that, for more than twenty years, with our two sons. We have let them grow up at their own pace, to make decisions on their own. We may suggest, but we support their right to make their own decisions. When they fight, they sort it out by themselves. We have not seen them fight for the last fifteen or more years.

We have allowed and encouraged -- by example -- an attitude of caring, courtesy and enjoyment. If they need help we may offer. If they ask for help, we will help. We support and encourage but never interfere.

Our children are a delight! Polite, helpful, intelligent... understanding, supportive...

Will they succeed in business, or politics, or commerce? No way! Our children are too nice.

If you want your children to "succeed" in our increasingly commercial world, you must push: push now, push hard. Push your own children, push other children aside. Drive your children to succeed -- forget about nice, well adjusted adults -- your children must have the urge to win. Plus all the support that you, your family, friends, casual aquaintances, can bring to bear.

Use your own power to teach that second place is for losers. Use you own networking skills to push your children to the front of the line, to get every available advantage over the pack. Drive your children now -- while they are young and malleable -- to understand that winning, at any cost, is the prime requisite for success...

Or watch your children finish last, with the rest of the nice guys. Fight hard and win! Or be losers.