Extra Credit Questions

[Eva Elisabeth]

"President Abraham Lincoln chose how to raise his child Tad." - I said that in my second to last sentence, didn't I?
Here it goes again: "It's OK, it was the Lincolns' policy and matter, and they consequently had to deal with it." And they could afford it (having Tad not up to contest).

The point which was not the Lincolns' matter is touching or even (ab)using others' belongings without permission (like Hicks' colors, and this was for sure not the only incident). This is IMO an absolute no-go, and parents have to ensure that their offspring does not do that. Even if they could allow to replace the item, this is a general matter. One just isn't to touch or use what isn't yours without asking. (And I do not find it any cute if kids do, or if parents even allow their begging, lamenting youngsters such as to unwrap and eat the candy in the supermarket right away before paying, before it is legally theirs.)

Your "reply" is also no reply to my question you quote right before. (The question was how Tad would have developed under the conditions Lincoln had to face, and with zero financial background.) I guess you also know it wasn't Lincoln's wish that Robert went to Harvard. Robert's motivation however was intrinsic.

I think President Abraham Lincoln slapped Robert on the inaugural trip when he missed to watch the inaugural address. (I wonder if Tad had accomplished that better but doubt he had gotten slapped if not.) I also think there was a scene with a reception where Robert queued as a "guest" and Lincoln lost his temper.

So, if all kids were raised as laissez-faire as Tad and showed the same lack of working attitude, skills and discipline, please tell me what the world would look like.