To HATE Child Genius?

[ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs]

DH and dd are watching and I can't stand it. All those poor kids, crying from the pressure their egomaniac parents have put them under. IT DOESN'T MATTER!! Surely you can be proud of your lovely smart kids without pimping them out to tv. Makes me raging and sad in equal measure.

These kids have chosen to go on it though. Thankfully for them, there are some people who watch it and actually thinking that they are wonderful lovely kids rather than being judged for being misunderstood.

How wonder how many kids would beg their parents to go on TV if there was a show about competing for being the best young football player. I bet that wouldn't raise as much as an eyebrow.

So much prejudice still against competitive clever kids.

now they realise they aren't the only clever kid in the village they can't cope...

I did a degree course where pretty much every student had been top of their school. Those of us that coped best with the new bell curve were those who had other, external interests that weren't academic to fall back on.

I did find it weird that these kids could spell ridiculous words that are actually very rarely used, memorise entire transport systems, and pretty amazing maths, but couldn't apply that maths at all in a problem and didn't know that the universe started with the big bang.

I am a primary teacher and these kids remind me of the kids who are hothoused and made to do Kumon every day and can do column addition/subtraction of 6 digit numbers etc. But ask them to apply that in a fairly simple word problem, which is far more akin to what they will come across.in real life, and they really struggle.

I found myself feeling really sorry for the kids when they were crying and devastated. But then I realised that when I was that age I was competing in a really competitive sport and had many many disappointments, my coach used to give us loads of shit, there was plenty of crying, and I carried on with it for many years because I loved it.

Maybe its the fact it's televised (and edited I guess) that makes it more.difficult to see.

but couldn't apply that maths at all in a problem and didn't know that the universe started with the big bang.
She did know it, the pressure got to her. The good thing is that she will have learned how pressure can affect you, so next time, she might be more prepared, something that many don't face until their adults and find it much harder to cope with.

DD has just take the UKCAT exam for her application to study medicine. VERY IQ like. It's a one off exam, you do badly and your chances of getting it is vastly reduced, you then have to wait another year to take it again. Many clever kids who will have done brilliantly in mock tests will do badly because of the pressure. They are looking for kids who can still perform well under pressure to study medicine. It's part of the whole package.

Mmmm I seriously question those parents who trot out 'they filled out the forms themselves' and they still need parental permission! Why would any sensible parent let them?

Regarding the football or competitive sports in general kids up and down the country join clubs to compete but they don't need to be on tele for the country to judge.

No this isn't healthy for any of these kids, none look happy really and it's 100% about the parents.

It's like the bloody hunger games

Its funny you've said that because I was talking to one of my lot about it yesterday, she's a SEN teacher, and she said it sounds horrific mum and makes me think of what went on in the Roman Forum.

But then I realised that when I was that age I was competing in a really competitive sport and had many many disappointments, my coach used to give us l
Exactly, but that something that unless you experience yourself, you just cannot understand. It's alien to people who are not competitive by nature. It's very frustrating to be judged on something because others don't feel the same.

We've been watching it. Dh and I are fascinated by Rahuls dad. Who said (and I'm paraphrasing a bit) that he was used to achieving great things because he'd played table tennis for Barnett city council. #greatness

Its the parents who fascinate me. Yes some of the kids are clever. But you can clearly see the nerves and the upset when they don't win is absolutely heartbreaking. I wondered on the last episode whether the girl (grace?) deliberately threw her answers because prior to going back in she said she didn't want to do it any more..:

oops meant to quote the bit about loving the competition despite the tears!

so much prejudice still about competive clever kids

One of my kids is super smart and is lucky to have 2 kids in her cohort at school who have similar talents. They do a lot of external assessments and competition at a national level and are competitive amongst each other, but are still good friends. Their competition pushes them all forward but it's at kid level, their teachers and parents aren't invested in it at all. Just because competition isn't happpening on TV doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I can't see how being seen to be visibly upset on TV promotes resilience at that age.

swing so you'd be supportive of your daughter taking part of that exam on national TV and having her results and immediate reaction filmed?

I think being on TV is the price that comes with it. I think people see it an issue because of their showing what clearly some see as weaknesses in front of strangers. I don't see it as such at all, I see the tears etc... as part of the process. As said, they would have watched previous programmes, would have been prepared for it.

I would hope that these parents would have warned them about it, explained that they could end up being filmed in tears, but explained that this was ok, nothing to be ashamed of.

Again, not so different in my view from what many parents post of their kids on public forums.

swing so you'd be supportive of your daughter taking part of that exam on national TV and having her results and immediate reaction filmed?
I'd be supportive of what she'd want to do herself. She is emotionally mature, able to analyse her emotions and make decisions accordingly. I respect her for the person she is.

If she said that she wanted to do that, I would ask her if she would be ok if she fell into tears on camera. If she thought it through and said yes, that it was ok because she would show that it was ok to cry when disappointed but that you could then show that nothing is over and you can pick yourself up in any situation, then yes, I would support her.

As it is, absolutely no chance of this happening! She is quite a private person and doesn't like to have the light shone on her. She is still self conscious about being clever and competitive because she's always gone to the local very average schools where being clever is judged very much as it is here. She's got many friends who have accepted her as she is, but it did take some time for them to see the other sides of who she is.

ps: she is nothing at all like the kids on the programme!

Could they at least not allow siblings..that seems particularly cruel

It's like the bloody hunger games

Um, no it's not. They don't have to murder each other do they? Or is there an extended edition on More4 or something?

i think being on TV is the price that comes with it

But the price that comes with what?

It's not an assessment of superior achievement or applied knowledge or even advanced cognition. It's not like they're televising the junior national chess champs, or maths olympiads or anything.

If it's "part if the process" what is the value of the process? I agree that disappointment and its manifestation can promote resilience in some kids but I can't see how having that process visible to their friends and classmates is helpful.

where being clever is judged very much as it is on here

I don't think anyone on this thread is saying that clever kids shouldn't be encouraged and supported and have their accomplishments feted.

The dissent is whether a small aspect of cleverness (high working memory) should be extrapolated to equal "child genius" and whether this should be turned into a competitive TV show.

swing how old is your dd if you don't mind me asking because I always cringe a bit when parents describe their kids as 'emotionally mature' the really arnt ever because they are kids.

My youngest is 17 and a steady great kid but emotionally mature? Na not yet.

Rhubarb yes exactly.

bing I wasn't actually being literal but it's still emotional cruelty in my opinion.

And none of those kids last night was 'emotionally mature' and neither in my opinion are their parents.

This is not a show that is seriously finding the brightest child in britain. It has a self selected bunch of applicants, children that have entered themselves after getting parental approval and children entered by their parents. There are plenty of very bright children not at all interested in a quiz show / car crash reality tv.

It is not definitive in assessing intelligence, ability to perform is not an indicator of IQ, it is a fascinating programme though. I have never watched it before but this week I watched with my 8yo dd. We were caught up in the drama And the freak show parents, the children are portrayed pretty sympathetically, but some of the parents are pantomime baddies. Rahuls dad needs a mustache to twirl!

It is entertainment, proving only that we like to watch human drama, there are plenty of ways to win competitions and gain academic prizes with no TV involvement whatsoever - no one needs this to exist.

And there is no prejudice against clever kids.

I have 5 kids and honestly they can still name the clever kids from their school year and trust me they were admired not bullied. Comprehensive schools by the way.

I think most of these kids friends will feel very sorry for them to be honest.

But the price that comes with what?
The price of winning the award of winning this competition, something they want very very much.

Not something most would care for here, but something that means everything for these kids hence why they are so upset when they get eliminated.

The dissent is whether a small aspect of cleverness (high working memory) should be extrapolated to equal "child genius" and whether this should be turned into a competitive TV show.
I agree to this to some extent, although it's not just about memory, however, I do think most posters here are posting because they think the whole process is cruel and pointless and that the kids are going to be traumatised for life because of their pushy parents, something that is experienced by a number of parents of clever children in real life.

If we go by the definitition of 'genius', it refers to 'an exceptionally intelligent person or one with exceptional skill in a particular area of activity', so I think it does fit for these kids, even if we believe it is only about exceptional memory skills.

I agree, Nomore; neither do I think the people who have organised this for our entertainment have much emotional intelligence either. This isn't about celebrating clever kids; that wouldn't make great TV. It is more like some kind of freak show which starts with the enormous labels and finishes with showing all the tears. Can't be great for an 11 year old who has to face school in September.

Rahul is lovely it must be hard having to live out your dad's dreams-he appears power mad and takes the competition way to seriously.
Mum just sits there letting it happen it's so sad.
And the mum that keeps saying her daughter is special and super intelligent,from what I've seen she got most of the answers wrong I think her mum over hypes her way to much.