To feel sorry for some of the children on Child Genius?

[Laymizzrarb]

I felt so sorry for Aaliyah when she made a mistake. She looked totally crestfallen. And the mother wasn't helping, telling the cameras her child had made a 'stupid mistake' . She's a little girl for goodness sake.

I watched the most recent episode and felt sick to my stomach witnessing the behaviour of Aliyah's parents and also Tudor and his Sister's parents. Channel 4 should be ashamed using children in this manner and the shameless editing. It was so predictable ... Nutty parent bigs up the child blah blah blah "They're amazing, a genius, going to go all the way" then next scene shows the poor child flunk some ridiculous test. Cue next scene -nutty parent's shocked, demented faces and to top it all crying sobbing children who have been made to feel like a failures. Poor poor kids.

Please everyone complain to OFCOM. I've recently refreshed my safeguarding children training and like everyone else says this screams emotional abuse. If I witnessed this with the children in my care I would have a legal obligation to report.

I've only seen the second episode, but I thought Tudor's dad was emotionally abusive. That poor little boy.
Agree Rubiat, Sharon and Eleanor's parents were ok.

Rubiyat

I've recently refreshed my safeguarding children training and like everyone else says this screams emotional abuse.

can you tell us why though, put into proper words our feelings..

I can. Consistently telling someone they aren't good enough against an arbitrary and often unrealistic standard is emotionally abusive, however you dress it up.

Forcing an apology for being "disrespectful" when they're tired and fed up is emotionally abusive (a scene from last week).

After a school day that ends shortly before 4pm, drilling a 9yo for another 4 hours every single day is pretty damned harsh, too.

Definition of Emotional abuse:

• Emotional abuse is the persistent ill treatment of a child, such as to cause severe and persistent adverse effects on the child’s emotional development. It may involve conveying to children that they are worthless or unloved, inadequate or valued only insofar as they meet the needs of the other person. It may feature age or developmentally inappropriate expectations being imposed on children. It may involve causing children frequently to feel frightened or in danger or the exploitation or corruption of children.

It's not that these parent do not love their children, but it's the inappropriate expectations on these very young children who will never get their childhood back. Tudor in particular comes across as feeling not good enough yet we can all see what a brilliant boy he is.

And someone hinte in another thread that Aliya's mother and stepdad don't seem to be advertising official psychologist credentials. There seems to be a little waterfowl play at work.

Quacks?

I've got a degree in psychology. Doesn't make me a psychologist though.

And as far as I'm aware anyone can get a counselling qualification (though I believe it takes a very special kind of person to make a good one, so not having a go at counsellors).

Forcing an apology for being "disrespectful" when they're tired and fed up is emotionally abusive (a scene from last week).

could not agree less with this I don't care how tires or fed up my child is if he's been rude he will apologise

I couldent stand Aliah or Tudor parents, it was bordering on emotional abuse. Not dissimilar to what my dad suffered in boarding school, he could still recall it years later . I wanted to give both parents a dressing down they deserve and take the chikdren away for some much needed fun. When Tudor got some answers wrong, his dad had a face like thunder and told him he could do better. I wanted to wrap my arms round him and tell him what a wonderful boy he us, something his parents should do

Thefishewife, so far as I remember Aliyah wasn't really being rude, though. The stepfather was making her carryon practising for the test, she got a bit whiny about something difficult, the mother interpreted that as her being rude and not appreciating what he was doing for her and made her apologise.

"
Eleanor's mum is the only one I've seen saying that she's worried her child is putting too much pressure on theirself

Still let her do the programme, though. They are all, without exception, as bad as each other.

I know it's edited and I know the producers are probably writing their own story but it still make me very uncomfortable. This series seems a lot more intense than the last one.

This series seems much more hard-core than the first one. The little girl that won the last series was delightful and so was her mum, they were both really unassuming and the mum wasn't remotely pushy.

Although it's compelling viewing, it is beginning to make me feel quite uncomfortable now. I work in mental health and I was speaking to our psychologist about it and she thinks Aliyah and Tudor and Hazelle's parents are definitely emotionally abusive to the point where she couldn't bear to watch it - and she worked in CAMHS for years. And why the hell do they have to wear those stupid labels round their neck- it makes them look like evacuees.

The thing is I should imagine that most people watching it are doing it to cringe at the parents but the kids are being used as collateral damage in the process.

Problem is the type of people who are attracted to putting their kids on telly are by default going to be a bit

I don't cry at TV much these days but I must admit when Tudor was sobbing his little heart out after getting 'only' 63 cards, I did feel quite tearful :( just wanted to give that poor lad a cuddle.

It's awful to watch

The poor children are not allowed to just be children

Children can do well at school and in life without so much pressure and drilling.

could not agree less with this I don't care how tires or fed up my child is if he's been rude he will apologise

I saw that scene and the child was not in any shape or form rude.

Its like saying cinderalla was saying she was a bit tired after cleaning her step mothers house all day than asking her to apologise and thank her step mother...

The idea of finding the brightest child in Britain is lovely - in reality it brings out some nutter parents who push their DC into learning things for no other reason than to perform, mainly for the benefit of their parents. So painful to watch. Tudor's and Aliyah's parents need to take a long hard look at themselves. Their kids seem pretty resilient from the very little I've seen of them, so hope they will do OK in the long run. My money is on them not pushing their own kids like this, though.

There are some lovely families on the program, though, with genuinely gifted DC who seem to be be leading their parents. 9yoDD and I actually applauded several of the DC during the memory round last week, we were so impressed.

My 9yo DD, who is not at all G&T was not able to articulate what she didn't like about Aliyah's mother when watching program, and so said "I don't like her face or her hair" DD is never critical about people's appearance - I was quite shocked she said it, until I realised what she was actually trying to articulate.

"The idea of finding the brightest child in Britain is lovely "

Is it? Why?

"There are some lovely families on the program"

Are there? Which ones?

Psychologists can make shit parents too sometimes. I am afraid that having that professional insight into your clients and supposedly yourself during supervision does not necessarily translate into good parenting- the emotional bond gets in the way and blocks insight.

I would have concerns about this family and it may well be that the concerns of others have been raised with the relevant people off camera.

I do like Emily's family, Hakluyt.

Psychologists can make shit parents too sometimes

of course, the cobblers children and all that, what was worrying was the extreme confidence of Alliyahs mother in her daughters regime and treatment.

she needs to take a step back she herself was so abused, can she really judge what makes a good parent herself? she is so confident and arrogant....that was most worrying of all...