[Ataraxiaist]

We seem to have a strange anti-intellectual bias in our culture when it comes to children.

I mean I was not pushed hard as a kid to play guitar or play football/wrestling but I was pushed. It took quite a bit of time before I really fell in love with playing guitar. It is hard to fall in love with something when you suck at it. I needed to be pushed. Sports were fun at the time but we completely overstate the value of organized sports IMO.

I don't know why we see playing a musical instrument as something different than learning scientific instruments. We expect the kid to just naturally be driven in science from day one and pushing them is seen as something morally off.

It reminds me of the crazy hockey parent that pushes their kid way too hard in hockey. While some kids might end up hating hockey, a huge % just end up being really good hockey players compared to the average person. People tend to fall in love with things they are good at.

I am childfree but if I did have a kid I would be a science version of the hockey parent and let the chips fall as they may. The risk/reward is just massive for the kid.