[quote]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?
There is a huge difference between a child being this driven and the parent. It can be very hard for outsiders to tell the difference. I went to university with a 11 year old child 'prodigy'. (You can still find articles, he was on TIME or Newweek magazine.) He was awarded his BA in math at the same time I did. I did in fact interact with this boy, and it was clear he was a VERY unhappy kid. By the time I'd met the kid, it was clear dad was the one pushing. No question the kid was HG+ and gifted in math, but his senior project was NOT up to par with the rest of us. The whole story deteriorated that summer, with the end result of the kid going back to live with his mom and his going back to junior high.
I am in no means saying that there is a problem with all 11 year olds in college. Just in this case dad lost his perspective on what was in his son's best interest.
