No Autopilot for Parenting

Every child is unique and requires different care.

In Xenophon’s Oeconomicus, Socrates receives a farming lesson from Ischomachus, a highly regarded estate manager.

Socrates says that if you don’t know what the soil is capable of growing, how do you know what to plant or sow?

Ischomachus gives a straightforward answer.

…you can tell by looking at the crops and trees on another man’s land what the soil can and cannot grow. But when you have found out, it is useless to fight against the gods. For you are not likely to get a better yield from the land by sowing and planting what you want instead of the crops and trees that the land prefers….Yes, and even if the land lies waste, it reveals its nature.

It would be foolish to try and browbeat soil into growing something that is not suited for that area. Even if you managed to squeeze out something, your time would have been better spent trying something else.

Take this beyond farming. Apply it to your children.