Mickey'snewestfan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2005
- Messages
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My 10 year old is applying to private schools, and a standard question on applications around here is "list the 3 words that first come to your mind when you think of your child." I know exactly what I want them to know about my son, 3 things that I think capture his personality and his strengths, and that also influence the kind of place where he'd do well. 2 of them are easy
The third is giving me a hard time though. One of DS most pronounced traits, and I believe one of his greatest strengths, is that he plans in a way that I think is unusual for a 5th grader. He thinks ahead in a very clear, logical way, and uses all the tools at his disposal to solve problems. He's got his whole future planned out, and has gone online to research degree requirements at different universities and earning potentials for different careers. He's a very strong chess player (at least for someone with no lessons or chess playing relatives), and on the soccer field and hockey rink, where he plays defense, he always seems to know exactly where the ball's going 3 plays down the line and positions himself perfectly to stop it, he's the kind of kid who comes home from aftercare with 90% of his homework done, and the 10% where he needs help identified.
So, what word do I use to describe this trait? I thought about just writing "planner" but I feel like I need an adjective, and I'm not sure "planful" is an actual word. I thought about sensible, but that seems like an understatement. I would say he's eminently pragmatic, but if I told someone I had a pragmatic child I think they'd picture boring, or calm, or serious and NONE of those describe my child -- he's joyful and goofy and likes to come home from school with mud on his pants and tales of some elaborate fantasy game with wizards and vampires they made up on the playground (in fact that's another piece of the same thing -- he spends time at home crafting these fantastic games in his head and then goes to school and ropes his friends in, lots of fun).
So, I'm left with strategic. But I'm just not sure it's right either. I feel like the admissions director will read it and say "strategic? What does that mean?" or that they'll see it the way I see pragmatic or sensible and expect boring? Does it have a kind of "cold" air to it, like he's all strategy and will climb over the bodies of his friends to get what he wants (couldn't be farther from the truth, he's a very kind, empathetic, friendly kid). In addition, it's a Quaker school, and I'm not sure that strategic doesn't have a slight military air to it.
What would you picture a strategic child to be like?
Note: This is an online application, so I really don't see how I can sneak in a paragraph explaining my thinking.
The third is giving me a hard time though. One of DS most pronounced traits, and I believe one of his greatest strengths, is that he plans in a way that I think is unusual for a 5th grader. He thinks ahead in a very clear, logical way, and uses all the tools at his disposal to solve problems. He's got his whole future planned out, and has gone online to research degree requirements at different universities and earning potentials for different careers. He's a very strong chess player (at least for someone with no lessons or chess playing relatives), and on the soccer field and hockey rink, where he plays defense, he always seems to know exactly where the ball's going 3 plays down the line and positions himself perfectly to stop it, he's the kind of kid who comes home from aftercare with 90% of his homework done, and the 10% where he needs help identified.
So, what word do I use to describe this trait? I thought about just writing "planner" but I feel like I need an adjective, and I'm not sure "planful" is an actual word. I thought about sensible, but that seems like an understatement. I would say he's eminently pragmatic, but if I told someone I had a pragmatic child I think they'd picture boring, or calm, or serious and NONE of those describe my child -- he's joyful and goofy and likes to come home from school with mud on his pants and tales of some elaborate fantasy game with wizards and vampires they made up on the playground (in fact that's another piece of the same thing -- he spends time at home crafting these fantastic games in his head and then goes to school and ropes his friends in, lots of fun).
So, I'm left with strategic. But I'm just not sure it's right either. I feel like the admissions director will read it and say "strategic? What does that mean?" or that they'll see it the way I see pragmatic or sensible and expect boring? Does it have a kind of "cold" air to it, like he's all strategy and will climb over the bodies of his friends to get what he wants (couldn't be farther from the truth, he's a very kind, empathetic, friendly kid). In addition, it's a Quaker school, and I'm not sure that strategic doesn't have a slight military air to it.
What would you picture a strategic child to be like?
Note: This is an online application, so I really don't see how I can sneak in a paragraph explaining my thinking.
He's good at Chess as well. 
Hmmm, I'll have to think about it. I think it's because it's doesn't come off as an active adjective. it also sounds vague, like it may not be an obviously positive thing to be. My next question would be, "What do you mean he's strategic? How?" 
Every parent thinks their kid is wise beyond their years. You can do better. 
