I have two high schoolers; they are both very different. One is a boy and one is a girl, both have "above average" I.Q's - not that means much. I placed my oldest (my son) in the IB program, because he "fit" the requirements - now 6 years later looking back I have caused him tremendous stress. He is a very social and athletic person;therefore, he is internally conflicted with maintaining the balance between grades, sports and a social life. He is meeting the requirements, but that is all. As a Sr. he is absolutely miserable. My daughter is a freshman in high school and an overachiever, she always has been. I have tried to relieve the stress at home by explaining that all I expect is the best she can do, but to her the best is excelling at everything, sports, social life and grades. She wants acceptance (as do most teen girls) from peers, teachers and of course her family. She is now at a breaking point. Society is pushing children to grow-up faster than they are ready to both mentally and physically. No wonder they are self-mutilating, binging and purging, or plain starving themselves - it is the only control they have over their lives -. Worst of all they are actually killing themselves - not crying for attention with attempted suicide -following through. We tell them the grades, the jobs, the schools they must attend - they can't let us down - we know it all. Not only have I experienced this with my own childern I am also an educator. I have taught 4th, 6th, and College Prepartory Reading. I have heard more than one time, "my mom is going to kill me, because I did not get an 'A'; please give me extra-credit." Why are we pushing our youth to bear the stresses that many adults cannot handle? The bigger question is; why do we then wonder: Why are our teens killing themselves, killing others, and withrawling into a shell that can never be broken? Think about that the next time you ask your kindergartner, "Why did you make a 'B'?"