Wow that’s cute and bittersweet.
Just remember, parents, it goes the opposite way too. Sometimes a kid has real talent, but lack of encouragement doesn’t push us to cultivate it. Kids pick up on what you say, or don’t say, more than a lot of parents realize.
It really is that simple. I wish I had received this kind of support.
In reality and about 50% of the time:
Kid shows interest in something and the parent leans into it and encourages them, buys them the best stuff.
Kid gets burnt out on the thing and never touches it again.
Source, my daughter who loved art, then cooking, then tennis, then…
Dont get discouraged. Kids who sample or dabble in many interests are more likely to be top performers in their field later in life.
edit: I cant find the actual study at the moment, but it was covered on No Stupid Questions, so they will have provided a citation.
It sounds like the thesis to David Epstein’s book, Range. When I read it, it was a game changer for me.
If I recall correctly, the main examples were Roger Federer (who played a lot of sports and didn’t choose to specialize in tennis until much later than the typical tennis pro), jazz legend Django Reinhardt, Vincent Van Gogh, and a bunch of other less famous, but much more typical examples.
an epstine book being recommended for advice on kids?
Yeah, he did to that surname what Hitler did to Adolf.
