You know, basically I agree with you on practically everything you say. People here and there continue to surprise me with their lack on basic critical thinking.

Speaking of questioning everything -- whilst I've no doubts in general benefits of it -- I believe, it should be used with a great caution to prevent getting understood wrongly. Let me explain myself.

For obvious reasons, we can't afford using Socrates' method on everyday basis, mainly because of other people's denial to use it as well. I could remember being a kid and asking my mother some serious (for me at that point) questions, only to hear something like 'just because, stop asking silly things' in return. More, imagine yourself in a group of people, say, university fellow-students or colleagues at work. Let's assume they raise money for somebody's birthday. And then you come up with a question:

- 'Why do you raise these money?'
- 'Because we want to make a present.'
- 'And what is, by your thinking, a present? Enlighten me, I'm very ignorant at this point. Does it have to be a pleasure by itself, or does a pleasure have to cost anything--'
- 'Oh come on, you greedy reindeer! We always knew we couldn't count on you'.

Just that, your interlocutor denies to continue. Well.. asking questions is nice, but interacting with people assumes that you accept some social presets as well. So, I think, general familiarity of people is crucial to a good upbringing. Socrates' method may be postponed until some good occasion :)

Note, I could only speak of my own childhood/growing-up thoughts, while you could also speak of your son's. It's probably (and certainly) a whole new level of understanding upbringing and how schooling should be organized.