let kids be kids?

What a strange notion? Aren't we as parents supposed to cram things into their lives, wanted or not to prepare them for the 21st century? This article by Brian Gresko, stay at home writer dad, says otherwise. In Defense of Childhood: Let Kids Be Kids! Gresko states,

"I can't see why I would want to deprive my son of these basic childhood, human joys by enrolling him in classes meant to "encourage his cognitive development" -- shorthand for conforming to testable skills. Many of the most important skills are untestable -- imagination, general optimism and lightness of heart, the capability to love another creature, to empathize and demonstrate compassion. These are things a child can't bubble in on a Scantron sheet, and yet cultivating these attitudes matters more in determining how my son will exist in the world and what kind of contribution he'll make with his time on Earth."

Well said.

In the meantime, I'm working on center stiles for glass doors and am nearly ready to glue and assemble. You can see the joint in the photo below. It is cut using the table saw, and drill press, with a small amount of chisel work required to remove waste between the drilled holes forming the mortise. As you can see in the photo below, the doors are now glued and assembled with the edges trimmed. The carcass fits together with dowels.