If there's one thing I can suggest to any prospective or current parent, it's that if you child is smart, clever or exceptional in any field, just love them. Love them with all your heart and soul.
I was a 'gifted' kid, and by many standards people would say that I had a good childhood, but I didn't. My childhood was a mixture of pressure, bullying and failure (i.e. getting A's instead of A*'s). My parents did the best they could, but as Philip Larkin said, "They fuck you up, your parents do".
So please. If you have a 'gifted' or 'talented' child, let them know that you love them no matter what, that they don't always have to come first, and that happiness is more important that intelligence.
I was a 'gifted' kid, and by many standards people would say that I had a good childhood, but I didn't. My childhood was a mixture of pressure, bullying and failure (i.e. getting A's instead of A*'s). My parents did the best they could, but as Philip Larkin said, "They fuck you up, your parents do".
So please. If you have a 'gifted' or 'talented' child, let them know that you love them no matter what, that they don't always have to come first, and that happiness is more important that intelligence.