Raising "well balanced" kid is not enough... A-List celebrity is a must, LOL

[sleepyguy]

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/parents-spend-15-000-every-142213803.html

Best part...

The family rely on both sets of grandparents to help pay for Theo’s classes, and Steffan said “every last penny” is dedicated to the youngster’s success.

The entrepreneurial dad insists the hard work will eventually pay off.

He said: "We push him, but it will all be worth it in the end.”

WTF, just let the damn kid be a kid and stop trying to live through him...

[gooki]

Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to end well.

[marty998]

Huh...

I thought all most people have to do these days is release a sex tape to become an A-lister.

Speaking of which... where is Paris Hilton these days?

[crispy]

We have a local family who packed and moved to LA so their 11 year old son could become famous. It has been a few years, and I still don't think he's made it. After seeing all the child star horror stories, I have no idea why parednts would want that for their kids.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Huh...

I thought all most people have to do these days is release a sex tape to become an A-lister.

Speaking of which... where is Paris Hilton these days?

Her father, Conrad Hilton, eventually got tired of her making the family name into a laughingstock.

When it got to the point that the Presidential candidate to whom he was giving millions of dollars of support decided to use Paris as a punch line in a speech on national television, old Conrad reportedly hit the roof. Being humiliated on national TV due to his daughter's publicity antics and criminal activity was bad enough for him to let her rot in jail a bit for driving without a license and violating the terms of her probation, but when it got to the point where a politician he was bankrolling felt free to mock his daughter publicly he realized he'd become a joke. So he reamed McCain, threatened to withdraw his support, and then laid down the law for his daughter.

After those incidents, Paris stopped hanging out with the reality TV clique and focused on legitimate business activities and some animal charity stuff. She still appears for hire at private parties and does occasional movie, DJ, and reality TV gigs.

[slugline]

Huh...

I thought all most people have to do these days is release a sex tape to become an A-lister.

Speaking of which... where is Paris Hilton these days?

Her father, Conrad Hilton, eventually got tired of her making the family name into a laughingstock.

You made me look into this because -- well -- I was pretty sure THE Conrad Hilton passed away many years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilton_family

If the ol' Wikipedia can be trusted, Paris is actually the niece of Conrad Hilton Jr. and the brother of Conrad Hughes Hilton. The legendary hotel empire builder Conrad Hilton passed away before his great-granddaughter Paris was even born.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

Huh...

I thought all most people have to do these days is release a sex tape to become an A-lister.

Speaking of which... where is Paris Hilton these days?

Her father, Conrad Hilton, eventually got tired of her making the family name into a laughingstock.

You made me look into this because -- well -- I was pretty sure THE Conrad Hilton passed away many years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilton_family

If the ol' Wikipedia can be trusted, Paris is actually the niece of Conrad Hilton Jr. and the brother of Conrad Hughes Hilton. The legendary hotel empire builder Conrad Hilton passed away before his great-granddaughter Paris was even born.

My mistake: Paris's daddy's name isn't Conrad. But he definitely reamed McCain for publicly commenting on the stupid, frivolous behavior of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan (not sure I spelled her name right). As I recall Miss Hilton got a public apology. Miss Lohan did not.

[MrsPete]

I've known people who've tried this -- not to this extent. 

I think sports is the most common vehicle.  Parents get the idea that private lessons and playing on a traveling team /club team is an automatic promise of at least a college scholarship.  Too many don't get the idea of big-fish-little-pond; that is, your kid might be starting QB in high school, but we have 7-8 of those just in our county. 

[TheGrimSqueaker]

I've known people who've tried this -- not to this extent. 

I think sports is the most common vehicle.  Parents get the idea that private lessons and playing on a traveling team /club team is an automatic promise of at least a college scholarship.  Too many don't get the idea of big-fish-little-pond; that is, your kid might be starting QB in high school, but we have 7-8 of those just in our county. 

It's probably easier to get a scholarship in golf, tennis, equestrian, volleyball, or something where the pond is smaller but there's still money being handed out.

Dollar for dollar, though, I'd guess that the money spent on traveling teams and private lessons would could often pay for a kiddo's education if it was invested intelligently.

[Darryl Musashi]

...might as well save the money for the therapy the poor kid is going to need in ten years...

[MrsPete]

I've known people who've tried this -- not to this extent. 

I think sports is the most common vehicle.  Parents get the idea that private lessons and playing on a traveling team /club team is an automatic promise of at least a college scholarship.  Too many don't get the idea of big-fish-little-pond; that is, your kid might be starting QB in high school, but we have 7-8 of those just in our county. 

It's probably easier to get a scholarship in golf, tennis, equestrian, volleyball, or something where the pond is smaller but there's still money being handed out.

Dollar for dollar, though, I'd guess that the money spent on traveling teams and private lessons would could often pay for a kiddo's education if it was invested intelligently.

Funny -- I had this very conversation with one of my students just today.  She's on the girls' golf team -- it's a four-person team.  High school girls just don't play golf.  She told me that she only started playing a year or two ago, and she said she did it for two reasons:  1) to spend time with her dad.  2) because it's one of the easier ways for a girl to qualify for a scholarship.  She doesn't love the game, but I say that's a girl with her head screwed on straight.

I totally agree about the money spent on sports, but I know SO MANY parents who are sure that their kids are going to make it big.  I've taught kids who've won full-ride scholarships, and I've taught a few kids who've gone on to play professional sports.  Hint:  If this is your kid, he's not the one making Varsity as a sophomore.  He's the one who already IS the team as an 8th grader -- he plays Varsity as a freshman -- colleges are already courting him as a sophomore. 

Also, so many parents don't realize that you have to know how "to play the game" when it comes to scholarships.  If you're not in the clearing house, you're not going to get any serious interest from colleges.  It's a business, and just being good isn't enough. 

Completely different thought: 

I'm thinking about something I heard a teenager say at church some time back.  She said something to the effect of, "Everyone wants the American dream -- you know, to be rich and famous."  Huh?  I thought the American dream was a white picket fence house with 2.5 children inside and a car of your own in the driveway -- you know, middle class success.  Yet I do think the dream has "evolved" for today's youth into wealth and fame.  No wonder people are dissatisfied!

[MrsPete]

...might as well save the money for the therapy the poor kid is going to need in ten years...

Or for his drug rehab if he makes it into the Hollywood A list.

[Gondolin]

Well, 150 years before that the American dream was "religious freedom and 20 acres of farmland". The American dream is a highly nebulous concept that changes greatly depending on demographic and time period. The 60s era "house and two cars" concept evolved as America urbanized, white collar work became more prevalent and at the same time, people wanted to hold on the (vestigal) importance of land ownership.

I'd argue that in today's world the old "middle class success" model is as farcical as the "rich and famous" conception referenced above.

[The Guru]

...might as well save the money for the therapy the poor kid is going to need in ten years...

Or for his drug rehab if he makes it into the Hollywood A list.

...at which point both parents will lament, without the slightest hint of irony, " How did this happen? We gave him everything!"

[crispy]

I've known people who've tried this -- not to this extent. 

I think sports is the most common vehicle.  Parents get the idea that private lessons and playing on a traveling team /club team is an automatic promise of at least a college scholarship.  Too many don't get the idea of big-fish-little-pond; that is, your kid might be starting QB in high school, but we have 7-8 of those just in our county. 

It's probably easier to get a scholarship in golf, tennis, equestrian, volleyball, or something where the pond is smaller but there's still money being handed out.

Dollar for dollar, though, I'd guess that the money spent on traveling teams and private lessons would could often pay for a kiddo's education if it was invested intelligently.

Funny -- I had this very conversation with one of my students just today.  She's on the girls' golf team -- it's a four-person team.  High school girls just don't play golf.  She told me that she only started playing a year or two ago, and she said she did it for two reasons:  1) to spend time with her dad.  2) because it's one of the easier ways for a girl to qualify for a scholarship.  She doesn't love the game, but I say that's a girl with her head screwed on straight.

I totally agree about the money spent on sports, but I know SO MANY parents who are sure that their kids are going to make it big.  I've taught kids who've won full-ride scholarships, and I've taught a few kids who've gone on to play professional sports.  Hint:  If this is your kid, he's not the one making Varsity as a sophomore.  He's the one who already IS the team as an 8th grader -- he plays Varsity as a freshman -- colleges are already courting him as a sophomore. 

Also, so many parents don't realize that you have to know how "to play the game" when it comes to scholarships.  If you're not in the clearing house, you're not going to get any serious interest from colleges.  It's a business, and just being good isn't enough. 

Completely different thought: 

I'm thinking about something I heard a teenager say at church some time back.  She said something to the effect of, "Everyone wants the American dream -- you know, to be rich and famous."  Huh?  I thought the American dream was a white picket fence house with 2.5 children inside and a car of your own in the driveway -- you know, middle class success.  Yet I do think the dream has "evolved" for today's youth into wealth and fame.  No wonder people are dissatisfied!

So true...I went to a dinky school in the middle of nowhere.  In me senior year, our girls' golf team was phenomenal (thanks to one stellar player and three pretty decent ones).  Every one of those girls received college scholarships for golf. The stellar one to a Division I school and the others to smaller, less prestigious schools.  This is definitely one of the better ways for a female to get a sports scholarship. A lot of girls play basketball, volleyball, soccer, and softball, and there are not playing golf.

[Papa Mustache]

I'm thinking about something I heard a teenager say at church some time back.  She said something to the effect of, "Everyone wants the American dream -- you know, to be rich and famous."  Huh?  I thought the American dream was a white picket fence house with 2.5 children inside and a car of your own in the driveway -- you know, middle class success.  Yet I do think the dream has "evolved" for today's youth into wealth and fame.  No wonder people are dissatisfied!

I would FEAR fame and celebrity if DW & I were cast into the spotlight. Money? Yes. money = freedom. Don't want the rest of that teenager's day dream. ;)

[MgoSam]

Well, 150 years before that the American dream was "religious freedom and 20 acres of farmland". The American dream is a highly nebulous concept that changes greatly depending on demographic and time period. The 60s era "house and two cars" concept evolved as America urbanized, white collar work became more prevalent and at the same time, people wanted to hold on the (vestigal) importance of land ownership.

I'd argue that in today's world the old "middle class success" model is as farcical as the "rich and famous" conception referenced above.

Yeah, the American dream sure has changed a lot over the years. It's crazy just seeing how the lower-to-middle class lives relative to how they did so back in the 1960s. It helps remind me how thankful I am at my roommate as he not only pays rent on time and is extremely quiet and clean, but as he's older and comes from a different generation, he has a different point of view. He's very frugal due in large part of how he was raised and due to the fact that he's extremely practical.

[Proud Foot]

I've known people who've tried this -- not to this extent. 

I think sports is the most common vehicle.  Parents get the idea that private lessons and playing on a traveling team /club team is an automatic promise of at least a college scholarship.  Too many don't get the idea of big-fish-little-pond; that is, your kid might be starting QB in high school, but we have 7-8 of those just in our county. 

It's probably easier to get a scholarship in golf, tennis, equestrian, volleyball, or something where the pond is smaller but there's still money being handed out.

Dollar for dollar, though, I'd guess that the money spent on traveling teams and private lessons would could often pay for a kiddo's education if it was invested intelligently.

That's about what I did.  Ran cross country and track and ended up getting a scholarship to college for those.  The times speak for themselves when you race and its not all about getting onto the "right team" for recruiters to see you. I never saw or hear of a recruiter attending our basketball or football games but there frequently were one or two at the meets.  Even if they weren't there to see you they certainly saw if you performed well.

[BlueHouse]

Why do I get the feeling this isn't going to end well.

It sounds as if the entire family is pinning its hopes on this one kid. How is that kind of pressure not child abuse? 

[gooki]

And they talk about him like an object, not the person he his.

[LiveLean]

Our 13-year-old son has a female classmate who has been playing golf for years. She's speaks fluent Russian since her mother is from Ukraine. She's also an all-around sweetheart and beautiful.

I worry that Donald Trump will be hitting on her in five years.