Hi Dr. Laura,

I'm the stay-at-home mother of two children and have been a listener of yours for years. I felt moved to write in response to the Inwood, NY school changing report cards to "boost kids' self-esteem". What a terrible disservice they are doing to their students. If all children are held up as being "equal", what happens to those who actually ARE motivated to work hard and learn?

Those who opted to slack off instead of doing the hard work should receive the same high marks, just so they can feel "good" about themselves!? What happens to those kids once they enter the real world with this false sense of "esteem"? Is everything going to be handed to them so they can "feel good"? Sadly, they'll shatter like teacups.

They'll be drawn to alcohol or drugs--the easy way to feel good. Not to mention giving high grades across the board minimizes the achievements of those students who ARE choosing to work hard and do well in school. Self-esteem comes from the positive feelings one derives from doing something well. Through hard work, persistence and successive repetition one can grow and improve. If we're giving kids "A's" just for breathing, we might as well close down our schools. These poor kids....I feel badly for them. How grossly we underestimate their ability to cope with adversity and develop through that process.

I'm spitting mad about this, Dr. Laura. Thank you for challenging this idiotic notion that all children need to be treated like they're fragile, delicate and incapable.



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