Smartness

Remember back when you were in school and grades were so important?  Well, maybe they weren't important to you, but they definitely were to the teachers!  With five kids in school we hear about grades quite a bit these days.  Those kids that do get good grades are praised for being so smart but those that don't are badgered and put down for not trying.  

Personally, I think our school system doesn't do a very good job of judging how smart someone is.  I think everyone is smart in some area.  One of our kids can read people very well. He is very intuitive about how people think and why they do what they do.  Another one is very good at finding lost items because he has an eye for detail.  Unfortunately no one ever grades you on those things.  Have you seen this cartoon before?

Isn't that the way it is?  It makes our job as parents a lot tougher because while we know our child is smart, the school tests ask all the wrong questions, so the child who isn't school-smart always feels like they're dumb.  It's kind of sad.

I wish that in about the eighth grade the school would sit down with the parents and child and figure out where the child's talents lie, and then have different career tracks in high school to prepare the child for life.  But since they don't we have to be more proactive in helping our kids realize what area they are smart in and what talents God has given them, so they can figure out what type of work they would enjoy in life.

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 

1 Peter 4:10