To pity my friend's new born daughter

[speedymama]

I have a male friend who I have known for over 20 years and he is married to a woman who takes parenting to a whole new dimension and he has converted to her way of thinking. They already have two children (3 and 4)and the mother recently gave birth to a second daughter.

I'm delighted for my friend. However, I can't stop feeling pity for the new baby because I know what her parents, especially her mother, have in store for her.

As soon as she is 3 months old, she will be subjected to a daily routine of flash cards courtesy of the TV screen in order to teach her how to read. Her siblings were reading by the time they were 18 months old. I was even given a DVD, which shows them reading, as a present.

I don't want to be disloyal to my friend but I personally think this is too much. I know some people hot-house their children but to start it at 3 months is imho, extreme. They are using some American programme and it states that to be successful, parents must start when the child is 3 months. The older two are lovely children but crave toys because they don't have many. When they come to my house, they just start playing with the first thing they get their hands on.

AIBU?

Wonder what they would make of me then.
I encourage my toddler to jump in puddles

speedy I'm kind of with you really, even though it's up to them, the children aren't neglected, bla bla bla

and the more you tell us, the more barmy they sound. I hope for everybody's sake those children DO turn out to be academic and successful because I suspect things may turn out to be quite tricky otherwise

where on eartj do they find the time?!

Are the DVD's tellingly entitled

"Look! Look at how marvellously we have parented our children!"

to be swiftly followed by

"Education is the key, we find, that's why we go to such efforts, just to make sure they have the best!"

And finishing on a final note of

"Yahs, yahs, well as soon as his focus came in we started him on the scheme, it's so important, don't you agree, to make sure they get the best possible start? They were all continent at nine months, we made sure 'toilet' was in the reading scheme, of course..."

I have one DVD that I cannot bring myself to watch. Our mutual friend saw it and told me about it. They filmed their DD1 eating dinner when she was about 2yo. Apparently it is not pretty sight. They have asked me about it - I just said she looked cute.

Also, according to the mother, working class people do not know how to raise children because they are the ones that cause all the trouble. I really had to bite my tongue with that one because I'm from a working class background plus I don't want to fall out with my friend so I have to put up with his wife (our mutual friends feel the same way).

Like I said, good job that I am tolerant.

well speedy, I guess it all depends what she was having for dinner. If it was caviar and blinis, then it's pretty impressive

does sitting your 12 weeker on lap while you do mn count as flash cards? If so mine is going to be a genius he loves looking at the puter

Poor child! Fine following your little ones interests. Fine stimulating your baby. But flash cards at 3 months

I pity the parents actually. The fact they feel the need to do this is mory pitying in some ways I think.

As for the videos Oh dear!

Tell me that they read them all books - for pleasure and I'll feel better about it all.

Interacting with humans is always a better idea than a DVD.