Child Genius (C4)

[TheFirstOfHerName]

Anyone planning to watch this?

I was a little like these children; joined Mensa as a child, but used my ability to coast through school/university rather than to achieve anything noteworthy.

DS2 is also of this ilk. We are not doing any of the things these parents are doing, although when opportunities arise through school then obviously we let him participate.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

But there must surely be many other children like that at Harrow?

I mean, let's be honest, it's a highly selective school. It's not going to be full of natural geniuses whose parents smile merrily as their offspring do whatever they please.

[JustRichmal]

Answering questions on totally different subjects is a very silly way of ascertaining the cleverest, especially when there was one point in it. I just hope the children realise how trivial the whole completion is generally. Of all who took part, the ones who came out looking the worst were Mensa.

[Rivercam]

We live in a grammar school,area. The heavily tutored children find it difficult in grammar school, so probably the situation is similar in Harrow.

[queenofthemountain]

That little Tudor is going to kick over the traces before long.You can already see the resentment simmering

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Ah, ok, river. Sorry, I was just guessing really - I've seen a few students from very selective schools and they didn't have parents anything like that (thank God!) but they obviously had been quite heavily tutored and organized. They can't have struggled at school, but obviously, that doesn't prove it's the same for everyone.

I'd hope wherever he goes, he finds teachers who help him to feel proud of himself and don't make him feel he has constantly to prove himself.

[fuzzpig]

I just had to google "kick over the traces" as I'd not heard it before, but yes I agree completely.

[areyoutheregoditsmemargaret]

I didn't find Rubaiyat's dad weird at all, he seemed genuinely concerned about his son's dreams of attending to university and trying to manage a tricky situation. I loved the way they agreed it was a stumble, Rubaiyat looked so sweet as he cheered up. But the best girl won

[Clobbered]

Good for her (just watching on catch up). I'm so pleased that she was self-taught and not from one of the hideously pushy families. Tudor and his family are disturbing to watch, frankly.

[Thecroissantthief]

Just finished watching on catch-up. I was really hoping that at some point something other than memory and being able to manipulate numbers fast would be tested, as this is not what genius is really about. I would have been more impressed if the children had had to write an essay on their specialist subject - such as 'string theory - explain how it alters our view of the universe' or 'The battle of Stamford bridge - how was it won and lost and what was its long-term consequences' and have this marked by an expert, rather than learning every fact there was for fast recall. The format just did not test understanding although it made better telly and I suppose for Mensa that's what it was about.

In fact in no way was genius even slightly tested in this competition. What distinguishes a genius, is the application of vast knowledge to solve a problem is a way no one has before. To make a great leap from what is known now to discover something new. For this great imagination and creativity are needed, I saw no real signs of these abilities, indeed the type of tutoring that was being inflicted on the many of these children would act to stifle imagination and creativity.

There were glimmers of hope that there was more to some of them than rote learning and parent pressure, so perhaps there are some geniuses in the making - I really hope so.

[Hakluyt]

Utterly ridiculous to put an 8 year old against an 11 year old. The whole thing was hideously exploitative and the parents are all just ghastly but in different ways. I can't decide who I am most disgusted by, C4, MENSA or the parents. The parents, probably. Because C4 makes money out of car crash telly, MENSA has always had a wierd agenda and continues to think that mental maths and a good memory =intelligence. But the parents actually chose to take part.

[queenofthemountain]

The competition isn't really designed to identify genius.|I mean how can you compare a musical prodigy against a math genius .You can't. So the show is designed to find a child who is a reasonably good allrounder, which is not what 'genius' means at all.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Gosh, if they think they're identifying a good all-rounder they've missed it, haven't they?! It wasn't a remotely balanced set of tests.

[LarrytheCucumber]

I can't imagine either of Sharon's parents ever wear T shirts that say 'Trust me, I'm a doctor'.
Parents like Sharon's and Eleanor's have realised that if your child wants to do something it is better to encourage them and if it is difficult for them (as it was emotionally for Eleanor) to help them to learn from the experience.
I was pleased Sharon won.

[Hakluyt]

"'.
"Parents like Sharon's and Eleanor's have realised that if your child wants to do something it is better to encourage them and if it is difficult for them (as it was emotionally for Eleanor) to help them to learn from the experience."

I so disagree. Parenting sometimes means making a decision for children who are too young to make that decision for themselves. And sometimes that means over ruling them.

[queenofthemountain]

Hmm I wonder.
Or are some parents better at playing down their involvement.Lets face it even the very first stage of the application process would have required parental permission, so all this 'she entered herself' stuff is crap.

[Hakluyt]

Absolutely. I hate ths dishonesty of "she entered herself"

And you don't get to be a chess champion at 11 without a lotof parental involvement.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Children don't get to be good at anything without parental involvement even if its just that you are a taxi service.

It doesn't mean you are pushy. Ice spent half my life ferrying dd around to dance classes - I support her.

There us a junior chess champion at ds's school. Her mum I am sure has to take her all over the place but it doesn't mean she is pushy.

And Eleanor's mum is not pushy for agreeing to sign entry forms that she was given at school so seemingly endorsed by the school.

If your child really really wants to do something & it looks like a good opportunity why not allow them to try. If you dismiss it out of hand they can turn round & say you denied them the opportunity of even trying.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Actually I guess that not quite true but to compete/perform at a high level in anything parents who are willing & able to facilitate it give the child a better chance.

[Hakluyt]

"If your child really really wants to do something & it looks like a good opportunity why not allow them to try. If you dismiss it out of hand they can turn round & say you denied them the opportunity of even trying"

And then you say that you prevented them from being exploited and held up t public scrutiny. And that you made a decision for them that they did not have the knowledge and life experience to make. And that is they think you were wrong, you're sorry, but you made that decision as a parent With their best interest at heart. Being a parent is not about doing everything your child wants you to do.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Well that's where we all differ.

I sent Cunauds mum a message on twitter about how his portrayal on the programme had helped my dd & she sent a reply that a big reason they did it was to help others like he had been helped by seeing an asd girl on another programme

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Any whilst I personally would not put dd on a show like Britains Got Talent I wouldn't judge the parents if others at her school who have appeared & for done it was a stepping stone to get the training/career they wanted.

[Hakluyt]

"ny whilst I personally would not put dd on a show like Britains Got Talent I wouldn't judge the parents if others at her school who have appeared & for done it was a stepping stone to get the training/career they wanted."

Wouldn't you? I would.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Yes, I rather gathered that you are a judgmental type of person.

I would not judge anyone who was doing what they thought to be the best thing. And as I said. The children I know of have gained a lot by it. (Not necessarily fame & fortune but scholarships & funding )

[morethanpotatoprints]

Hello Pictures

Surprisingly enough I totally agree with you. I'm not sure what dd would be like now If I hadn't let her leave school and follow her dream.
I don't push her, she pushes me and of course we allow this if they are G&T and its what they want.
BGT wasn't for us either or Child Genius but I don't knock those parents who agreed to it, although I do think it should come from the children.
I only saw a couple but I think the right person won and I also liked Eleanor.

[queenofthemountain]

The children I know of have gained a lot by it. (Not necessarily fame & fortune but scholarships & funding )

so parents are justifying putting Dc through this circus because it means they get to save money on school fees