Why have kids?

In article .com, Circe
says...

Banty wrote:
In article GuHKf.4137$Sp2.307@fed1read02, Circe says...

"Banty" wrote in message
...
In article . com, -L.
says...
Please, Barbara. Do you really think *I* am worried about peer
pressure? Come, now.

Lyn - raising this child isn't about YOU. And you won't find a
mommy-activated
"don't-think-about-peers" switch in his head.

Yep. Moreover, it is difficult to believe that an extremely sociable child
WON'T care what his peers think about him, no matter how "independent" a
thinker you raise him to be.

My son is *much* more social and less academically focussed than I was as a kid.
He's more affected by peer opinion than I was; I have always been the maverick.
But being the maverick is easier, if not even inevitable, of one is not as
social to begin with! To expect that of my son would be just plain egotistical.

Once again, I wonder if we are raising the same child! My oldest son is
much the same way--certainly, although he's identified gifted, he's
much more socially adept and aware than academically adept and aware.

I don't know if he cares more about his peers opinions than I did,
though. I wasn't popular and it bothered me that I wasn't. He, by
contrast, seems to get along well with everyone and, while it's a
little early to judge his popularity, he seems well-liked by most of
his peers. So, as a result, it seems to me that he's a bit LESS
concerned about what his peers think of him, but probably only because
he assumes their general approval.

Ditto - except he's not identified gifted, he seems to be pretty much identified
could-do-very-well-if-he-applied-himself! Except in the courses he likes, like
social studies.

Banty