I wish my own parents were even half as farsighted as that, lol. What a refreshing take to hear! It's funny/interesting how different that attitude can be between families, depending on culture and individual beliefs.

For me, growing up in East Asia meant your entire self-worth was grades and academia and you're subhuman scum if you ever get an A-. If you get a B, you've disappointed the ancestors, and a C would've angered the heavens and cursed your family name for a hundred generations. Childhood wasn't meant to be a happy time, but a fierce competition that determines whether you have a shot in life, and by extension, whether you've lived up to your family's honor. Then once you're a teenager, it's time for a decade of college prep. Who has time for joy?

I much prefer the American model. Seems to produce happier, if not more productive, individuals.

I feel like every culture and subculture mostly does their own thing when it comes to raising kids, and I wish there were more comparative studies and borrowed best practices. Would be fascinating, if nothing else.