How a school in India taught me to raise my expectations for my child

Before arriving in Kolkata, where my family and I have temporarily relocated while I’m on a research fellowship, my 7-year-old daughter was excited about the prospect of wearing a school uniform, as most kids in India do. But while we were out shopping our first week, she shot me a look of panic as one shoe store after another presented the same black orthopedic shoe-style sneakers as the standard “school shoes.” She opted for the alternative — a Mary-Jane style — instead.

By Liesl Schwabe