NationStates Jolt Archive

I was a very smart child. My mother, who had a difficult time with mathematics taught me from a young age and I absorbed a considerable amount very young. Between that, and my omnivorous reading habits, I was vry advanced for my age. It wasn't all fun and games, though. There are such high expectations to 'grow up' fast when you are a smart child. Fortunately for me, I managed to go insane. Who knows what kind of geeky stick in the mud I might have ended up otherwise. I'd probably be a high school math teacher. *shudder*

My son is smarter than I was. Considerably so. He's two and a half and mastering basic arithmetic! :eek: He's reading on his own! Most confusingly of all, he's loving it. Is this to be encouraged? Must I drive him nuts for his own good? Is this kind of intellect with my level of genetic lunacy a dangerous combination? Have I doomed the world?

Seriously(well, semi-seriously) can you teach your child too much too fast?

yeh, i reckon so. i know of a kid who's parents tried to teach her french (while not being french themselves) while she was still learning to speak anyway. she ended up not being able to speak anything coherent or recognisable til she was about 4 i think. no idea what she's like now though.

No, in fact, you should encourage him.

Yes, he's probably going to get picked on in High-School, but its a price to pay for being a smart kid.

Trust me on this one, he'll love the feeling of superiority :p

Hard to say. My parents didn't teach me to read because they didn't want me to be bored in school.

My personal opinion is to encourage learning at all times, and if you teach your child how to learn on his own then perhaps school won't ruin it for him in the long run.

Well if he enjoys it than I guess its okay. I think the problem starts when parents force their kids to learn and work too much at an early age to the point where the children see it as work and get turned off to learning.

as long as you don't teach them your one weakness you should be fine…

With that said put telly tubbies on or something should make that nasty knowledge go away! (oddly enough I know quite a few people who are just like LG in this story!!!)

encourage it! let him learn whatever he is interested in.

You can not teach them too much too fast if they are the ones who are leading the way.

I believe in the everything in moderation philosphy.. especially with kids. I don't think you can teach kids too fast.. they are a sponge that just keeps on sucking... but I think you can teach them in too focused a fashion.

Social interaction, physical learning, patience and appreciation of the natural environment are all just as important skills to be picking up as a child as reading, riting and rithmitic.

It sounds like you have a super absorbant sponge on your hands .. just make sure he has plenty of different things to fill up on .. not just a few that he overdoses on and I am sure we will be fine.

If however he does completely lose it the larger variety of stuff you have taught him before that point the better the show will be :)

He dismantled a box fan. I found him working on it with a phillips head screwdriver just as he was managing to detach the motor. :eek:

Yes, he's probably going to get picked on in High-School, but its a price to pay for being a smart kid.

why not create a super child part-rudey part-nerd once that has been achieved I fully expect the second coming of Jesus! (or maybe just have the kid be social which is very important for all ages IMHO)

Well if he enjoys it than I guess its okay. I think the problem starts when parents force their kids to learn and work too much at an early age to the point where the children see it as work and get turned off to learning.

I agree, as long as your son is enjoying it then its fine but you should never force education on him at that age.

I remember one summer my parents would force me and my siblings to write a page a day everyday. And since I'm dyslexic it was a nightmare. (I was about 11 at the time mind)

He dismantled a box fan. I found him working on it with a phillips head screwdriver just as he was managing to detach the motor. :eek:

my 5 year old used to do stuff like that, I bought her one of those electric set thingys (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102913&cp=2032062.2032398.2032405&parentPage=family) from Radio Shack, it kept her busy until she was about 4 and she started taking apart broken electronics trying to invent stuff.

it's mostly harmless. ;)

my 5 year old used to do stuff like that, I bought her one of those electric set thingys (http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102913&cp=2032062.2032398.2032405&parentPage=family) from Radio Shack, it kept her busy until she was about 4 and she started taking apart broken electronics trying to invent stuff.

it's mostly harmless. ;)

Yeah, I didn't start dismantling appliances until I was four of five also. :p

Don't think so. Children at that age are sponges, they absorb just about everything they come into contact with IF A. They are able to build the connections from what they previously knew to the new idea and B they are interested in it.

If you got those two points going for ya, let 'em learn.

Yeah, I didn't start dismantling appliances until I was four of five also. :p

I think I was about 5 when I started taking stuff apart too, it scared me that my kid got the idea so early.......it was almost like she was evil or something....like an evil genius.

although, you might look up the mensa chapter in your area, they have really cool stuff for kids to do, games, classes, play dates, you don't have to be a member for your kid to join the gifted kids program.

I recall reading an article about this in NewsWeek I think it was. It did talk about teaching a child too much too fast.

Well if he enjoys it than I guess its okay. I think the problem starts when parents force their kids to learn and work too much at an early age to the point where the children see it as work and get turned off to learning.

You mean like school?

I was a very smart child. My mother, who had a difficult time with mathematics taught me from a young age and I absorbed a considerable amount very young. Between that, and my omnivorous reading habits, I was vry advanced for my age. It wasn't all fun and games, though. There are such high expectations to 'grow up' fast when you are a smart child. Fortunately for me, I managed to go insane. Who knows what kind of geeky stick in the mud I might have ended up otherwise. I'd probably be a high school math teacher. *shudder*

My son is smarter than I was. Considerably so. He's two and a half and mastering basic arithmetic! :eek: He's reading on his own! Most confusingly of all, he's loving it. Is this to be encouraged? Must I drive him nuts for his own good? Is this kind of intellect with my level of genetic lunacy a dangerous combination? Have I doomed the world?

Seriously(well, semi-seriously) can you teach your child too much too fast?

I'm a "gifted" *laugh and shudder* student and have been for a long time now, and I do feel that it puts a lot of pressure on me to succeed. If I get an 85, everyone is shocked. I don't mind the pressure though, it just encourages me to go harder. I just have this advice: make sure that your child gets out and experiences the real world. If all he does is study when he gets older what kind of life is that? Sure, you do great in school, but when I finish high school I'm not going to remember that 100% I got on a test, I'm going to remember my exchange to France, my Rugby trip to Ottawa, my winning goal at the Provincial hockey tournament. When I can't even remember what I took first semester last year, I can name off all of the clubs and teams I was on and a lot of the places my friends and I went. Just make sure that your kid is balanced, too many parents try to make achieving in school everything, don't be one of them. Let him get out there and experience life when he gets older. :)

I think you may very well have a genius on your hands. You can now only hope that he will use his powers for good.

You mean like school?

yes.....exactly like that. Structured learning......blech.

I think you may very well have a genius on your hands. You can now only hope that he will use his powers for good.

Where's the fun in that? :p

I think I was about 5 when I started taking stuff apart too, it scared me that my kid got the idea so early.......it was almost like she was evil or something....like an evil genius.

although, you might look up the mensa chapter in your area, they have really cool stuff for kids to do, games, classes, play dates, you don't have to be a member for your kid to join the gifted kids program.

Not all gifted programs are created equal. I've been in my share. *bleah*

I've read about some groovy ones, though. I wouldn't mind one of them. *nod*

You mean like school?

Yeah, thats why my 2 brothers dont like doing any schoolwork. It was because my mom told them that if they finished their work they could go out and play, but basically when they finished their work she would just give them more work to do. Within a few months they only did their work when my parents forced them to.

Not all gifted programs are created equal. I've been in my share. *bleah*

I've read about some groovy ones, though. I wouldn't mind one of them. *nod*

yeah, I was in some pretty sucky ones growing up. I also hung out in the mensa program around here when I was a kid and it was pretty cool, my kids go now, it's still pretty cool.

You should research your local group though, it's not uniform.

I believe in the everything in moderation philosphy.. especially with kids. I don't think you can teach kids too fast.. they are a sponge that just keeps on sucking... but I think you can teach them in too focused a fashion.

Social interaction, physical learning, patience and appreciation of the natural environment are all just as important skills to be picking up as a child as reading, riting and rithmitic.

It sounds like you have a super absorbant sponge on your hands .. just make sure he has plenty of different things to fill up on .. not just a few that he overdoses on and I am sure we will be fine.

If however he does completely lose it the larger variety of stuff you have taught him before that point the better the show will be :)


what this guy said.

keep it informal. let him experiment. make sure he gets lots of time playing in the mud.

try to keep the idea that he is some kind of genius out of your head. he is a kid. he'll be good at some things and not at others. if he thinks that his being great at stuff is important to you, he will learn to fear the stuff that he isnt good at.

keep him out of school as long as possible. smart kids dont belong in preschool.

Oh great...so he's smart AND related to the goofball.


this either is a very very good thing, or a very very bad thing...


And no, you cannot teach your child too much as long as he enjoys it. Find what he has fun with, and go with that, but make sure to expose him to all disciplines (if he likes stars, you can easily do stuff with science, math, reading, etc.)

I was very advanced for my elementary school, the top person in the grade every year. I got into a "gifted" school for 7th grade, becoming the first person in over a decade to get into that school from my elementary school. I was very mediocre at my new school, because I saw these hyper competitive, overachieving kids and I realized at a young age I didn't want to be like them. However, because I still attend this school, and almost everyone I know expects and thinks that I'm a super-smart over achiever, I feel a tremendous amount of stress and pressure every day. This manifested itself in a breakdown earlier this year(my senior year), and I was unable to get myself out of bed for nearly a week. Now my parents are more aware of this, and we may move away from the city where I live and transfer to a lower-pressure, "normal school".

The moral of the story from a parents perspective (as far as I can tell), make sure that you child really does enjoy the work that he is doing, and do not try to pressure him into a situation that is bad for him. On the other hand, if he truly loves knowledge, there are plenty of people who strive to be super-smart, and if that is what they want, props to them. Just make sure you know what your child wants.

I was very advanced for my elementary school, the top person in the grade every year. I got into a "gifted" school for 7th grade, becoming the first person in over a decade to get into that school from my elementary school. I was very mediocre at my new school, because I saw these hyper competitive, overachieving kids and I realized at a young age I didn't want to be like them. However, because I still attend this school, and almost everyone I know expects and thinks that I'm a super-smart over achiever, I feel a tremendous amount of stress and pressure every day. This manifested itself in a breakdown earlier this year(my senior year), and I was unable to get myself out of bed for nearly a week. Now my parents are more aware of this, and we may move away from the city where I live and transfer to a lower-pressure, "normal school".

The moral of the story from a parents perspective (as far as I can tell), make sure that you child really does enjoy the work that he is doing, and do not try to pressure him into a situation that is bad for him. On the other hand, if he truly loves knowledge, there are plenty of people who strive to be super-smart, and if that is what they want, props to them. Just make sure you know what your child wants.

This might not completely apply, but what some people do is pretend that it took alot of hard work to get good grades even if it didn't, this way less is expected meaning less stress.

This might not completely apply, but what some people do is pretend that it took alot of hard work to get good grades even if it didn't, this way less is expected meaning less stress.

Or there are people that already know the material to be studied and don't need to learn pretential things like Basic Chemistry or Pre Calculus.

which, sadly, is what happens your first year of college. sadness. :(

Fortunately for me, I managed to go insane. Who knows what kind of geeky stick in the mud I might have ended up otherwise. I'd probably be a high school math teacher. *shudder*

Seriously(well, semi-seriously) can you teach your child too much too fast?
Hey! I was a high school maths teacher! :mad:

Depends what you mean by teaching too fast. If you mean it a la Clockwork Orange, having them tied down with their eyes wired open and being shocked into learning 20 hours a day, then yes. I think it is a tad too much.
At your off-spring's ages I would recommend no more than 14 hours a day electro-shock therapy.

This might not completely apply, but what some people do is pretend that it took alot of hard work to get good grades even if it didn't, this way less is expected meaning less stress.

Maybe, but it's already passed that time for me. On to smaller but better things.:)

Or there are people that already know the material to be studied and don't need to learn pretential things like Basic Chemistry or Pre Calculus.

which, sadly, is what happens your first year of college. sadness. :(

I guess this applies to me. Of course for my chemistry I've taken every chemistry class in high school from basic to the most advanced so my dad expects the top grades which I almost have but seeing as how the finals are coming up, it can go either way so meh.

Hey! I was a high school maths teacher! :mad:

My condolences. :(

I guess this applies to me. Of course for my chemistry I've taken every chemistry class in high school from basic to the most advanced so my dad expects the top grades which I almost have but seeing as how the finals are coming up, it can go either way so meh.

i actually never took a chemistry class... well, a class that was Chemistry blah or AP Chem, etc. etc. and i seem to be grasping the fundamentals of chemistry better than those that did take those chemistry classes.

of course, basic chem includes things that are covered in many other different classes (1- electron dot structures). the most complicated question, so far, seems to deal with the law that states the total pressure exerted by a mixed gas is equal to the sum each gases's individual exerted pressure (id name the law, but i cant remember the guys name... ill know it by finals week, though ;) )

i am honestly wondering this...

What can you do with a History major? anyone know?

... other than become some kind of professor or teacher.

My parents fed me knowledge at a pretty good rate. At school, it did cause this problem with me getting everything imediately. Now, in my first year of University, I have no study skills, I have no homework ritual/area, and I can not figure out test questions if I do not know how to solve the problem immediately.

My parents fed me knowledge at a pretty good rate. At school, it did cause this problem with me getting everything imediately. Now, in my first year of University, I have no study skills, I have no homework ritual/area, and I can not figure out test questions if I do not know how to solve the problem immediately.

find the answer to the problem and work backwards. that always helps.

then, if you still cant wrap your head around it, just ask the professor after class to explain it. at my university, we are lucky enough to have a mandate that requires our professors to maintain open office hours (at least 3 a week)

i actually never took a chemistry class... well, a class that was Chemistry blah or AP Chem, etc. etc. and i seem to be grasping the fundamentals of chemistry better than those that did take those chemistry classes.

of course, basic chem includes things that are covered in many other different classes (1- electron dot structures). the most complicated question, so far, seems to deal with the law that states the total pressure exerted by a mixed gas is equal to the sum each gases's individual exerted pressure (id name the law, but i cant remember the guys name... ill know it by finals week, though ;) )

Its Dalton's law of partial pressures. I should know especially after just checking my chem book.;)

Its Dalton's law of partial pressures. I should know especially after just checking my chem book.;)

damn, i shouldve known that. i was thinking Beer's law for a second. i even had to use the law in my chem lab today... grr.

find the answer to the problem and work backwards. that always helps.

then, if you still cant wrap your head around it, just ask the professor after class to explain it. at my university, we are lucky enough to have a mandate that requires our professors to maintain open office hours (at least 3 a week)

Only once in a blue moon that actually happens. And seeing an example of it will usuall do as much good as talking to the prof. Once I know the 'trick', everything else is gold. Teh prob is my memory is not the most reliable thing in the world.

damn, i shouldve known that. i was thinking Beer's law for a second. i even had to use the law in my chem lab today... grr.

My labs are easy;) I never read them a day ahead like my professor says I should. On the day of the lab I just walk in open my lab notebook and say to myself "what the hell am I doing today"

My labs are easy;) I never read them a day ahead like my professor says I should. On the day of the lab I just walk in open my lab notebook and say to myself "what the hell am I doing today"

hah... i do one better.

i usually go in the day of the lab and copy from someone else. i get the theories and equations im supposed to practice, but it gets monotonous fast

there are only so many percent composition equations one man can do.

My labs are easy;) I never read them a day ahead like my professor says I should. On the day of the lab I just walk in open my lab notebook and say to myself "what the hell am I doing today"
My Prof explains the lab before the lab. Then I usually watch the chick across the bench as she a)is hot b)knows what she is doing.

Always works.

Only once in a blue moon that actually happens. And seeing an example of it will usuall do as much good as talking to the prof. Once I know the 'trick', everything else is gold. Teh prob is my memory is not the most reliable thing in the world.

yeah, i know what you mean about the trick. usually i get that on day one and if i dont, i might have a problem later.

the thing about my memory that scares me, though, is how accurate it can be when i think its wrong. i scored a 94 on a test (this is a university test, mind you) where i thought i BSed 4 of the main problems, and i got a 49/50 on my high school Cell Bio final (where i dissected a cat) when i thought i failed that.

it scares me sometimes.

hah... i do one better.

i usually go in the day of the lab and copy from someone else. i get the theories and equations im supposed to practice, but it gets monotonous fast

there are only so many percent composition equations one man can do.

Oh, well I'm the one that people copy the lab answers from, its just that I keep quiet so only my lab partner asks for the answers instead of all the other people. Everyone else justs annoys the hell out of the ones who are visibly knowledgable about chemistry.:)

My Prof explains the lab before the lab. Then I usually watch the chick across the bench as she a)is hot b)knows what she is doing.

Always works.

1) I'm a Civil Engineer major. not too many hot chicks there, sadly.
2) normally, the people who know everything are women that form tightly knit clicks of knowledge power that are impossible to get involved with UNLESS you:
-are a jock
-are "hott"
-... and thats really about it

by the time i meet a hot chick that is in my major, knows what she is doing and actually lets me know how to do it, North Korea will secede to the South or hell will freeze over.

though that doesnt mean im giving up hope! ;)

My Prof explains the lab before the lab. Then I usually watch the chick across the bench as she a)is hot b)knows what she is doing.

Always works.

This is why its good to have the people who actually pay attention in class around us. So we can exploit their studious nature with no cost to ourselves:D

yeah, i know what you mean about the trick. usually i get that on day one and if i dont, i might have a problem later.

the thing about my memory that scares me, though, is how accurate it can be when i think its wrong. i scored a 94 on a test (this is a university test, mind you) where i thought i BSed 4 of the main problems, and i got a 49/50 on my high school Cell Bio final (where i dissected a cat) when i thought i failed that.

it scares me sometimes.
Same here. But sometimes I forget the trick.

My memory, well it is worse than nothing in the "alarm clock" mode (ie remember to call Pete at 6). In the "being asked" mode (ie What did that say?) it terrible short-term, but everything more than a week old is remembered so vividly that I cannot tell when it happened unless I see a person in it (then I guess their age etc). Of course, if the memory doesn't make it a week, it never happened.

1) I'm a Civil Engineer major. not too many hot chicks there, sadly.
2) normally, the people who know everything are women that form tightly knit clicks of knowledge power that are impossible to get involved with UNLESS you:
-are a jock
-are "hott"
-... and thats really about it

by the time i meet a hot chick that is in my major, knows what she is doing and actually lets me know how to do it, North Korea will secede to the South or hell will freeze over.

though that doesnt mean im giving up hope! ;)

Thats right you only give up hope when you die.:cool:

1) I'm a Civil Engineer major. not too many hot chicks there, sadly.
2) normally, the people who know everything are women that form tightly knit clicks of knowledge power that are impossible to get involved with UNLESS you:
-are a jock
-are "hott"
-... and thats really about it

by the time i meet a hot chick that is in my major, knows what she is doing and actually lets me know how to do it, North Korea will secede to the South or hell will freeze over.

though that doesnt mean im giving up hope! ;)

Her friends are hot and sit beside her or on the bench behind her.

I'm going to major in either Computer Engineering or Engineering Physics, so I knoww what you mean about the lack of chicks. Fortunatly alot of my classes are still Science major classes.

Im a biochem major and there are some hot girls in my class. Of course Im a freshman so it doesnt really count because this is just a general ed course for some of them. But my professor said that quite a few nursing majors switch to science...so yea

so I knoww what you mean about the lack of chicks.

I'm a French major, so probably 70% or so of the people in my classes are of the female persuasion :D

I'm a French major, so probably 70% or so of the people in my classes are of the female persuasion :D

Why don'tyou just move to Quebec?

There are people you want to avoid, though. There were these two asians that worked behind my partner and I... honestly, two of the most idiotic students in the class. In one of the many labs that required us to use a burner as a heating element, they were genius enough to put their item to be heated on the ring... at the TOP of the ring stand! so at the end of the lab, one of them was holding up the bunsen burner so they could finish on time!

and then, in another feat of brilliance, we were heating hydrated metals in salt form to find out how much water they contained. the expirement called for the use of a crucible. these two geniuses decided that, after they had heated the crucible for long enough, they would let it cool by taking it away from the burner and putting it ON A PAPER TOWEL. you could literally see holes burnt through the paper (folded over only once) where they put the crucible. idiots.

Her friends are hot and sit beside her or on the bench behind her.

I'm going to major in either Computer Engineering or Engineering Physics, so I knoww what you mean about the lack of chicks. Fortunatly alot of my classes are still Science major classes.

my first year is a GE heavy sequence... and then sophomore and junior years are supposed to be heavy core sequences.

:( so much for dating college chicks...

There are people you want to avoid, though. There were these two asians that worked behind my partner and I... honestly, two of the most idiotic students in the class. In one of the many labs that required us to use a burner as a heating element, they were genius enough to put their item to be heated on the ring... at the TOP of the ring stand! so at the end of the lab, one of them was holding up the bunsen burner so they could finish on time!

and then, in another feat of brilliance, we were heating hydrated metals in salt form to find out how much water they contained. the expirement called for the use of a crucible. these two geniuses decided that, after they had heated the crucible for long enough, they would let it cool by taking it away from the burner and putting it ON A PAPER TOWEL. you could literally see holes burnt through the paper (folded over only once) where they put the crucible. idiots.

lol in my chem class these kids heated their stuff in styrafoam cups on a hot plate, basically melting the cups. Also half the people didnt even know how to use those strikers for lighting the bunsen burners and I had to go around showing them.

lol in my chem class these kids heated their stuff in styrafoam cups on a hot plate, basically melting the cups. Also half the people didnt even know how to use those strikers for lighting the bunsen burners and I had to go around showing them.

wow... what dumbasses. is this a college chem class or a high school chem class?

there were a few people in my lab that thought you had to use 2 matches to light two seperate bunsen burners. the sillyness. and some wasted matches by completely turning off their burner when the lab instructions noted more than one place where the burner would be used.

On the one hand, it comforts me to see a post by LG after being gone for a year or so from these forums.

On the other, it scares me that his child is this intelligent, because that means we are all going to die.

Or at least be embarrassed by horribly clever pranks.

wow... what dumbasses. is this a college chem class or a high school chem class?

there were a few people in my lab that thought you had to use 2 matches to light two seperate bunsen burners. the sillyness. and some wasted matches by completely turning off their burner when the lab instructions noted more than one place where the burner would be used.

high school chem class and it it was ap chem and they had the highest grades in the class. Oh yeah also in my high school chem class all the faucets have those short rubber hoses on the end. My friend and I got this kid to connect them together and turn both faucets on. Basically it sprayed in all directions mainly soaking me. Our teacher got pissed off at us and my friend and the kid had detention.

Then when she got to me she said:

Teacher: Okay did you have any part in this?
Me:well... i got sprayed in the face
Teacher:okay then you get detention
:rolleyes:

Absolutely, feed your child knowledge like it's going to not exist anymore tomorrow.

If we're lucky, your son will be able to save us from all the "sanity" of the world.

high school chem class and it it was ap chem and they had the highest grades in the class. Oh yeah also in my high school chem class all the faucets have those short rubber hoses on the end. My friend and I got this kid to connect them together and turn both faucets on. Basically it sprayed in all directions mainly soaking me. Our teacher got pissed off at us and my friend and the kid had detention.

Then when she got to me she said:

Teacher: Okay did you have any part in this?
Me:well... i got sprayed in the face
Teacher:okay then you get detention
:rolleyes:

AP denotes "advanced placement," not "advanced intellect" :D

Absolutely, feed your child knowledge like it's going to not exist anymore tomorrow.

If we're lucky, your son will be able to save us from all the "sanity" of the world.
More likely the poor thing's gonna have to get years of therapy from growing up in a Goofball household.

More likely the poor thing's gonna have to get years of therapy from growing up in a Goofball household.

hey, if the kid takes to knowledge like a fish to water, i say get a bigger fishbowl and let the kid learn to his/her whim!

AP denotes "advanced placement," not "advanced intellect" :D

Of course, knowledge isnt always an indicator of common sense. In fact in some cases the more knowledgable a person has, the more gullible they are for everyone's comforting pleasure.:p

I was a very smart child. My mother, who had a difficult time with mathematics taught me from a young age and I absorbed a considerable amount very young. Between that, and my omnivorous reading habits, I was vry advanced for my age. It wasn't all fun and games, though. There are such high expectations to 'grow up' fast when you are a smart child. Fortunately for me, I managed to go insane. Who knows what kind of geeky stick in the mud I might have ended up otherwise. I'd probably be a high school math teacher. *shudder*

My son is smarter than I was. Considerably so. He's two and a half and mastering basic arithmetic! :eek: He's reading on his own! Most confusingly of all, he's loving it. Is this to be encouraged? Must I drive him nuts for his own good? Is this kind of intellect with my level of genetic lunacy a dangerous combination? Have I doomed the world?

Seriously(well, semi-seriously) can you teach your child too much too fast?
See my sig.


No, seriously, I think that you should let your kid learn at whatever pace he wants. Since he seems to love it, and has motivation of his own, all you need to do is supply him books and encouragement. You don't need to push him, teach him, make him take the mensa test, and send him to tutoring. Parents that try to create "super-babies" just end up with fucked-up overachieving social outcasts that are constatnly unsatisfied with themsleves and neurotic about their accomplishments.

Go download the episode "childhood's promise" from the link in my sig. you'll like it, I promise.

LG's worst nightmare: His children become young republicans then join Fred Phelps' church.

LG's worst nightmare: His children become young republicans then join Fred Phelps' church.

Well if they're like LG, at least they'll be happy.

LG's worst nightmare: His children become young republicans then join Fred Phelps' church.


Well, it'd be a hell of a joke to pull on Dad.

I think it is possible to teach your child too much too fast. John Stuart Mill and that Galton fellow, the founder of eugenics, were both child prodigies who, because they were pushed to learn so much so fast, had nervous breakdowns when they were young adults. However it's different with your son as you aren't pressuring him. I would just try to encourage some more physical activities as he's at the age when its crucial for kids to learn control of their bodies.

Well, it'd be a hell of a joke to pull on Dad.

one day theyll come home with Billy Graham's guide to a healthy childhood with smiles on their face and maybe give LG a heart attack...

sounds fun!

I remembering finding my eldest daughter with a copy of "Fundamentals of Electromagnetism". She was nine at the time.

I remembering finding my eldest daughter with a copy of "Fundamentals of Electromagnetism". She was nine at the time.

Was she actually reading it, or doing what I did with books when I was her age which was using it to balance the table or as a surfboard?:)

You can not teach them too much too fast if they are the ones who are leading the way.

Perfectly said. :)