16 year old graduating college, headed to Harvard for PhD

CTScoutmom
Thu, 02 May 2013 11:20:19 +0000

As long as she was able to pursue the activities that interested her, I doubt she “missed” her childhood. It all depends on how we define childhood. Is it the specific activities, or the ability to enjoy the activities you choose? A particularly bright child might not enjoy the same activities as other kids. The musical prodigy certainly doesn’t want to spend years in youth orchestras, waiting for the other kids to catch up. The young genius who is good at sports, for his age, but can’t act on his understanding of why he isn’t better (because his body hasn’t caught up) might not enjoy organized sports. If they are supported in doing the things they want to do, they are not missing their childhood - besides, there’s plenty about childhood that I’m sure most of us would be more than willing to skip.