I had a 9 year old who got a Grade 8 distinction. And now has Grade 8 on 3 instruments. He’s very very gifted musically but also works incredibly hard.
DS2 is not as gifted but practices daily and so has made rapid progress.
As someone said up thread we are a low/no screen household. Kids come home and have a snack, homework etc by 4:45 and then music practice till 5:30. They play for 30 mins and go outside if the weather is decent. Dinner at 6, DS2 is in bed by 7, lights out 7:30. DS1 then practices from 7-8/8:30 again (usually the first practice is on one of his other instruments and this one is on his main instrument). Then reading and lights out at 9 (he’s almost a teen). He is incredibly disciplined about his music. DH and I both have PhDs so we are also able to help them with work, set them extra work. When DS2 was 5 so in kindergarten in the US we would snuggle up after school and read and read and read.
They do one sport each on a weekend morning and the rest of the sport in school or before school. Neither are hugely sporty but are competent. Not county level or anything. Again on the weekends we do a bit of work, music practice before lunch and then go for long walks, read books, take the kids to the park. They have very little screen time. We do watch a lot of sport though so during the Olympics we’ll be watching it daily.
Yes DH and I earn a good salary so we can give them good opportunities- like good instruments, teachers, take them on holidays to national parks, big cities etc (we are in the US) or to European cities like Paris, Barcelona, London etc. We love travelling and hiking so we save up to do that. Again as an academic my schedule is flexible so I am there after school and at other times we are able to afford a nanny. Our kids are hugely privileged in many respects so yes while they are talented their ‘achievements’ are also a reflection of their privilege and their access.
Unlike most American kids mine don’t do summer camp. I am an academic so I am around in the summer. They do music practice daily but we go on holiday, or they just lie about and read, make stuff with Lego or just play with each other. Despite their busy schedules I also think it’s super important for kids to be bored and to use their holidays to recharge their batteries just like adults do. Again being able to go on nice holidays, go to museums, see plays and listen to concerts etc is also reflective of their privilege.