My heart goes out to her. This constant pushing of the children drains them and leaves no time for family bonding. Children thrive and learn a great deal getting out in nature, going with parents to buy a new appliance and going through th thought process of which machine meets their needs, judgment of quality? How to pay for it. Vegetable gardening can introduce so much natural science not to mention the encouragement of healthy eating, cooking at home and sitting down at the table as a family can be invaluable, reading a book together builds great discussions, vocabulary, and insights into aspects of life one doesn't experience on a daily basis. Parents need to rethink education rather than swallowing what "experts"say.