Objectivity For Dummies

How many parents have you met who think their children aren't smart, talented, good looking, etc.? Is it possible to be objective about our children and their attributes? Maybe a better question would be, is it smart to be objective about this?

My daughter is a 27 year old actress. As she was growing up I read every book I could find about building a child's self image and then implemented many of the suggestions from those books. My daughter strikes most people she meets as confident yet I've never heard anyone allude to her being boastful or full of herself. Of course, it's probably unlikely someone would say something like that to or around me. It's possible that's another reason objectivity about our children is difficult. Who in their right mind is going to openly criticize our kids? I recall once having a very tense interaction with a Kindergarten teacher when she hinted at a shortcoming in my daughter. I mean, really! My daughter? No way!

Because of her chosen occupation, my daughter has already faced numerous rejections; each one stings me. Both the rejections and her triumphs lead me to reflect anew on my objectivity. And those reflections usually end the same way. When it comes to her, I'm glad I threw away that notion 27 years ago.