I had just heard about Madeline Levine’s new book, Teach Your Children Well, and had just started to read it this weekend, when I stumbled upon her article in today’s Sunday Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/opinion/sunday/raising-successful-children.html?hp

As a parent engaged in the minefield that is visiting colleges with our son (and my second time through the process; we have a daughter who just completed her third year studying Engineering at UCDavis and playing Division I Lacrosse there as well), I am trying so hard not to say the wrong thing or care about unimportant criteria, but it is a minefield. And in this second time around, knowing my audience is a very important part of the equation. This child plays a different sport and is more interested in the Humanities than the sciences. This child is attracted to different schools for different reasons. How many ways can I botch it? Only time will tell. But the car rides alone are worth their weight in gold; comfortable conversation? check. awkward silences? check. intermittent naps? double check. But there are also golden moments of insight, of shared experience and of trying to name what is important, for me and for him. It’s a good thing to take a long road trip with your child. Do it even if he does not want to (or thinks he does not want to).

I’ll keep reading the book, trying to make sure I do not make too many errors… to be continued…