It’s an age-old argument: is it better to stand out or to comform? Well, the answer isn’t a simple yes or no. It is the same situation when considering being an exception to the rule. If you are the exception to the rule by surviving a terminal illness, then that is obviously positive. However, there are lots of situations in which being the exception to the rule is not a net positive.
Our youngest generations have grown up with a web of excuses and explanations for every shortcoming that they may or may not have. Children have been diagnosed and over-diagnosed, and now everyone has an exception to the rule. Whether it be an allergy, a sensitivity, or just generalized anxiety, everyone has something. I don’t say this to discredit actual allergies, anxiety, etc., but you must have noticed that there are way more people with dairy and gluten allergies than there used to be. I think that part of our problem is that, with the availability of Internet medical resources like WebMD, we have all become doctors without credentials.
When it comes to childcare and education, too many exceptions to the rule can cause big problems. Schools like ours believe in specialization and small classes. But when everyone suddenly needs additional specialized attention, it becomes hard to adequately meet the needs of every child. This does not mean that we aren’t doing our best to meet the needs of each and every student. But it will help us give your child the best possible education if he is not put into a box defined by his “exception to the rule.”
Obviously, if your child has a serious allergy, we are not asking you to let us feed him that food. But if your child suffers from separation anxiety that makes morning drop-off a painful process, work with us to gently push your child towards autonomy. If you try to limit some of these exceptions to the rule, your child can benefit greatly. We are training up strong leaders. While it is normal for leaders to have weaknesses, a leader is not typically characterized by excuses. We want your child to stand out and be himself, but let’s work together to eliminate the exceptions that could be holding your child back.
- Bria