Mrs. Williams, may we have a word with you?

My first child is a fairly typical first child. Generally, she's eager to please, and wants to appear to be doing the right thing.

My second child is a pretty typical second child. Every year, I get pulled aside by her teacher, with a "Mrs. Williams, may I have a word with you?"

On Lyra's first day of kindergarten, I was told by her teacher that Lyra said, "I don't have to follow your rules. When my mom hears about this, she's going to send me to a better kindergarten." The teacher wondered if Lyra were special needs. Well...

She's ahead academically, but she's not ahead socially and emotionally. I always assure the teachers that I will work with them to guide Lyra to make choices that will enable her to work better in a group.

Lyra's fine with self guided stuff, and that's great. However, I want her to have the tools to be able to work with others.

I have lots of friends who have made a wide variety of choices with their kids' education. Waldorf, Montessouri, homeschool...

There was the one mom of 11 kids who said that it doesn't matter which school your kid goes to, because they'll turn out how they turn out regardless. However, she did say that there was this one family, and they must have done something wrong, because their kid turned out gay. And, yes, I told her that she was full of crap, but in that polite, I'm-a-mom sort of way.