Late Night Conversation

I just had an interesting but unsatisfying conversation with my daughter.

She asked why we never push her to do activities and projects (after school things). She said that her cousin is always active in multiple activities (true), and gets awards (medals, trophies) from them (somewhat true). She observed that if her cousin wanted to stop doing things, her mother would likely object, or come up with something different for her to be involved with, whereas all we do is encourage her to follow her interests. She wants more. She wants medals and trophies that she can show people. She wants us to push her.

I reminded her that she she took piano lessons, she objected vigorously to having to practice routinely. She didn't remember that, but said she wanted to get back to that -- or to something. It starts, I said, with interest, and with commitment. What are you interested in? What can you do to find other things to be interested in, if what you know doesn't sound intriguing? What are you willing to commit to?

She said she wanted to be in a vet club, but there wasn't one. I said Start One. She said Can't, have to have a teacher do it. I said, talk to your guidance counselor. She said, I feel more comfortable with a woman. The eighth grade one is a woman, I said; talk to her. Can't, she said, we can only talk to our own grade's counselor. And on...

Unsatisfying.