the trouble with boys

Finn is a part time choonies, part time diaper kid these days and Henry is walking like a champ when ever he wants (not when we want mind you, when he does) and it has got me thinking about the boys growing up. We have been asked about Pre-school for the blond one and right now we aren't signing him up for anything. We are talking about it and doing some research here and there but we are in no hurry to start the whole school conditioning thing yet. I think I have written before about my dislike of school compared to Kate's enjoyment. While I was at the library there was a book on the new book pile called "The Trouble With Boys: A surprising report card on our sons, their problems at school, and what parents and educators must do" by Peg Tyler. This looked like it would be right up my alley, it could give me some good stuff to use when talking to Kate about school. The book is good and it rings true to me but it has had the effect of making me question it even more. I feel like these type of books are trying to convince you of one thing, and even if that is one thing I would be predisposed to agree with I immediately fight against it. Even with that push back there is a lot in here that resonates with me. i like this bit at the end of the chapter called Preschool Blues:

So if your thinking about preschool for your son, choose wisely. his earliest classroom experiences may shape the kind of learner he becomes. To get him ready for school, talk to him, rhyme with him, and sing with him. After kicking the soccer ball, take him to the library for story hour.... Make sure the school has some tolerance for "play violence" as long as classroom order is maintained. Make sure his daily schedule will include plenty of time and space for movement

I don't think I am one of those parents that needs his kid to start preparing for college before Kindergarten so a lot of the warnings in the book are lost on me. I want Finn to succeed but I want him to love to learn on his own and have that success come from a natural overflow of an already creative spirit. I wonder if I had that before school, like Finn does now. I am not sure what happened to me but over Easter we were looking through a box of old pictures and in it were some 2nd grade report cards where you could see I had already checked out. I was not trying and unmotivated. Not doing my homework and smart but didn't apply myself. The thing is I really do love to learn, I want to know more and explore and I am not sure that has just come later in my life. I think it was broken at one time and I don't want that to happen for Finn and Henry. I still don't have any real answers but we are thinking about this a lot right now, and really trying to think about in terms of Finn and not Finn and Henry. Maybe what will work for Henry will not work Finn and I think that as parents we want to be mindful of that. This parenting thing is super hard isn't it?