One problem this contributes to in our house is one that parents often have: DD forgets how young DS is and expects him to have more emotional and psychological maturity than he does, so she's annoyed and bewildered when he acts his age. She treats him like a peer of her own age too often, and expects him to be able to handle a lot. When she is around other children in K, in contrast, she takes on a "big kid helping younger kid" persona and is patient and vaguely but unintentionally a little condescending, in that way that older kids can be. She almost never does this with DS, except when helping him with something where he is waaaay behind her, such as drawing or writing. When I do see this dynamic (which DS does not mind!) it makes me a little wistful. I feel like in some ways, they are missing out on a more typical relationship ...
Unfortunately some teachers' interactions with gifted children may be similar to this, as contrasted with interactions of a coaching/mentoring nature with which they may engage other students in the classroom.
