I think that there probably are some inescapably unhealthy things associated with that-- namely, what interactions/activities must be sacrificed in order to accommodate the TIME to a singular pursuit at such a young age. Those sacrifices are almost certainly not all benign, and we all have just 24 hours in each day.
I certainly know what you mean. It's a life of sacrifice for child and parent, even at high but not-stratospheric levels. Is it inescapably bad for the child in the end? I don't know. Are Olympic athletes and prima ballerinas stunted people? I'm quite sure some of them are. All of them?
(It's ironic to me to find myself arguing this end of it. I'm playing devil's advocate more than a little. Note that we still have not signed DS5 up for anything other than chess tournaments local to our actual city, despite pressure from his coach to travel overnight with him to regionals, states, and nationals.)
