Morty,
I used to use this in some training sessions with potential foster parents and also Girl Scout leaders.
Picture a jar filled with fleas. Watch them jump. What happens? One jumps and hits his head; then another. Sooner or later they all get the message: You can only jump so high and then you're going to get slammed on the head. Now take the lid off. What happens. Usually the first reaction I get is "they will all jump out." Then it will dawn on one of the group that the fleas won't jump any higher than just below the top of the jar. They know their limits.
Our children are just like the fleas. They go to school that first day all excited and someone raps them on the head: "You can't be good at math-you're a girl";"You can't be a doctor, you're black"; You can't be..., you're too tall or too fat or too blond or not blond enough or too stupid or too smart..." The world is always ready to set limits on us and on our children. Someone is always eager to rap us on the head and see to it that you don't jump too high. Our job as adults, parents, leaders, etc. is to take off the lid and convince the fleas to jump as high as they can.
I guess you're too good at your job, Morty. You got them jumping all over you.
Smile. Tomorrow will be better.
Mary