Yes, a pushy parent cares but perhaps more for themselves than for their children (Joanna Moorhead, 30 May). We must try to see the big picture to be able to deliver that “best possible start in life”. During a lifetime in education it has been proved to me that parents should be teaching those life skills that are not included in the national curriculum but vital for a child’s well-balanced future.Teach them how to deal with failure, bullying and anxiety and you will be giving them the keys to a happy and secure life.Both our children were motivated towards degrees we would not have chosen for them, but we supported them. Today, in their thirties and with some ups and downs, they are now home owners and enthusiastic and happy people with successful careers.Marian Buck,