tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post8243709128743895028..comments2013-03-24T17:05:39.840-07:00Comments on Montessori Moments: Guest Post: Just Because my Child Says "Female" Doesn't Mean That She is SmartMeganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06580482411332472270noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7141031907363999320.post-2455549398014301012012-06-03T20:41:51.039-07:002012-06-03T20:41:51.039-07:00I agree completely. When my son Jack (3) speaks to...I agree completely. When my son Jack (3) speaks to people they will often say, 'You're so smart' or 'You're such a clever boy'. While I think it is so incredibly important for children to have positive self-esteem I often feel that hearing 'you're so smart' all the time can actually have negative effects. Sometimes it sounds a little patronising. Like he is not really being listened to. At times he seems frustrated, I think he would rather someone talk to him rather than at him telling him he is 'so smart'. Often times I think, they're just words, he knows them because he has exposure to non-fiction books regularly. Young children's minds are like sponges; absorbent minds :) Why do we have to put labels on them; smart, gifted, shy, timid? Why can't they just be themselves? I am fiercely protective of people labelling Jack. <br /><br />KateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com