Yes, folks.  That appears to be the new thing.  Getting your kids signed up with the tutoring center in their preschool years.  They will receive homework and mind-bending exercises to make sure they are at the top of their class.  It is really quite amazing when you think about it.  The tough part is, we chuckle when we hear of pre-emptive after school tutoring, but then, we become anxious and look for options when we read our morning paper about the sad state of American education.  What’s a parent to do?  When you figure it out, let me know. 

Until then, we’ll have to just use our common sense and try to raise children who know how to use the resources given them to the very best of their ability.  Oh, and throw in a little love along the way. 

There is something kind of sick about academic tutoring before school even starts.  And if you plan to fork over all that money to a tutoring center, why not just send the child to an exclusive $25K/year private school?  It would be more beneficial to the child in the long run, because at least the expectations would be developed more centrally.  The kid wouldn’t go to school feeling as though he/she is better than everyone else, fostering those narcissistic behaviors we’ve discussed in other posts.

This article from the Los Angeles Daily News highlights some opinions from local tutoring center owners, as well as concerns from child development experts on this topic.  The reality is, we are in the age of the over-scheduled child, and if we want to raise children who know how to smell roses, we will need to book it in their day planner.