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.

Random personal observation: my childhood was like a weird cross between Jocelyn's (I was a mostly homeschooled, outdoorsy only child) and Tudor's (I was drilled, tested, and raised to believe that my worth lay solely in beating other children at everything).

It was a terrible combination. The Jocelyn part has left me with a serious lack of self-discipline and problems with routine work and social interaction. The Tudor part has saddled me with anxiety and low self-esteem. As it happens, I did very well at university, and have three degrees including a PhD. But I'm struggling to do anything with that success, because my strange experimental upbringing has left me bereft of most of the basic qualities required to hold down a job and be happy. Many of the children on this programme are destined to go through life convinced that they are failures, no matter what they achieve. It's disturbing to watch it play out for them, remembering the complete burn out I became.

(I actually do think HE can be a great thing though, and Jocelyn is clearly happy. But when it is done wrong, it can be disastrous. And I agree with others, that Jocelyn is going to have problems adjusting to the real world as she gets older. I still haven't managed to).

Blimey, muriel that's quite a combination. Did your parents have a philosophy behind what they did or was it just the way they were?

FWIW, I also have anxiety, lack of self discipline, cannot do routine. I think some of this just comes with the territory of being fairly bright. Quite a lot of schools don't manage to get gifted/bright children to develop a work ethic either.

I was raised by my mother tenderbuttons, and she called me her 'experiment'. I don't think she had a philosophy - it was mainly a blatant attempt to prove to her family that she was better than them, using me as Exhibit A. She still has an irritating tendency to behave as if she owns me. I later learned that she took me away from my father when I was a baby and didn't tell him where we were going. He never succeeded in finding us (he's dead now), and he wouldn't have approved of her methods at all. So, she was a bit mad, and got far too over-excited when she realised I was bright, and the rest is history. She has never held down a job, so I didn't exactly have much in the way of a role model when it comes to self-discipline and routine.

You're right though, lots of bright people have anxiety and discipline problems without having had such a, erm, dramatic childhood. It's conceivable that I would have turned out like this anyway! But I'm sure I would at least be happier without the pressure etc (and with a bit of discipline), and do I think the same is true for the children on the programme. Tudor and Aliyah just ring so many alarm bells.

Call me a cynic if you like but isn't having a child on the programme going to bring a lot of publicity to Aliyah's parents and result in a lot of people looking at their website (as I have just done). Not my cup of tea, but I bet it will be for some people.

Tinklylittlelaugh I was going to say that about Tudor. My children were taught by a Tudor Welshsurname and you do get used to it.

Rubiyat was very sweet...watching him engage with the other kids was lovely.

Why do they have to dress them so weirdly though? The little ginger lass with the pearl necklace looked about 50.

Watched this last night as I missed it the night before. I feel very sorry for some of their kids, their parents have become totally obsessed with their children's education and have forgotten about the fun of childhood.

I have a bright Dd1 ( not to this extent but she's working at a high level ), she is on the autistic spectrum, she struggles with the social side of things and finds learning on her own much easier than socialising, she is a book worm and most of her skills are in writing and literacy ( though she's great at maths too ), I don't push her at all, I don't even force her to do her homework, I focus more on teaching my dd's life skills which are just as important as being academic. My younger dd also has Autism, she learns a lot from trips out, loves nature, she learns more from visiting places and exploring than she does at school where she struggles being in a classroom, her maths skills are great but she struggles to show working out. Again I don't push her, I just want her to be happy and not worry about how academic she is compared to her friends.

I liked the little girl who is home schooled, although she could not show her skills as well as the others I feel she will do better in life, she has a lot of fun whilst learning and her parents follow her lead rather than forcing her to study.

I felt sorry for the little girl who was being forced to drink horrid juices and have weird therapies in hope to help her brain power, I have a feeling this child will one day rebel and possibly end up hating her parents for taking away her childhood.

I don't think I could put my child through something like this, competing with others and then facing disappointment .

I am watching it with DD. She is very bright naturally but also pushes herself. She wants me to be like the pushy mums [freaked out].

Alaiyah - they are her mum and step dad.

pommedeterre and deepest Jocelyn asked to go on the show - she wasn't pushed by her parents.

DD still going on about wanting to enter.

I think it was a good experience for Jocelyn, she wanted to enter the show, was not pushed by her parents, I think they knew she would struggle but maybe that's a good lesson in life? They were still proud of her for what she achieved ( getting into the top 20 has to be a huge achievement for any child ) and I don't think it would have damaged her at all ( unlike the other kids who are being pushed and pushed and then told off for not trying had enough).

Itsfab I remember a thread on this show from last year. Some posters had actually gone through the audition process but pulled out because they didn't like the way the programme/competition was going.

Found it! Scroll down for a poster called Sticlebug.

Just watched this. Tudor's dad was awful-what a bully I just wanted to give him and his sister a big cuddle.

That's Sticklebug can't spell, leaves competition!

I can't even explain it but I just wouldn't want her to go on it. She has declared my GCSE maths too easy to DH is getting is maths degree stuff out for her .

Does anyone remember Ruth Lawrence? She was probably more capable than all these children and now, in her 40s, she's an associate professor. Which is great, but so are plenty of other people in their 40s; she's not empress of the universe because she was the brightest child ever.

Ruth Lawrence

Hi everyone

With regards to psychology and psychologists; I would just like to raise a point. To become a practising Clinical, counselling, forensic, health or educational psychologist in the UK training needs to becompleted in accordance with the BPS (British psychological society) or accredited if completed elsewhere; and practising clinicians need to be registered with the HCPC for insurance purposes and for regulation of this protected title. People offering therapeutic services should be registered with appropriate societies such as the BABCP as an example. I know these acronyms and societies might not mean a lot but I think it's important for people to know this so that if they are seeking information on psychology and psychologists they know what is evidence based and who is a suitable practitioner. After watching this show I just needed to say that

Thank-you unquietmind

Basically you mean that Aaliyah's parents are quacks not psychologists, don't you ?

Have just watched this and agree the editing is dreadful. Poor little boy trying to make friends using strategies from his books was heartbreaking and was obviously set up. Football boy was truly a talented ball player and should go far. The psycho mum had a dreadful childhood but that's no excuse for using your own child as an experiment. Having to apologise to her step-dad was way over the top and felt very intrusive and abusive.

Does anyone remember Channel 4's original 'Child Genius' from about 8 years ago? That followed about 10 gifted children and was much more insightful and didn't have the ridiculous competition/winner aspect. I remember Dante, Michael, Adam, Peter the chess boy and the Grafton-Clarke children with the odd parents. I'd love Channel 4 to do a follow up programme on those children to see how they've negotiated the teenage years and university/careers.

I did think the football was a little odd though - he's ten/eleven and had been at 5 or 6 clubs? From what I saw with my DB a season was a trial period, so they must have moved him pretty much every year. That seems a bit of a shame, it must be hard to keep making new friends and then move.

I think Jocelyn maybe needed a bit of practice of how the day would work. The others knew exactly what would happen and had practised the maths over and over again.

Watched the programme with my DS this morning, he now thinks that hi nagging Dad isn't that bad after all.
I have heard a mum at school mention Potential Plus, now makes sense her bonkers behaviour regarding her child's alleged 'gift' if she's been attending lectures by Dr Shoshana. Fairly sure they don't follow the fancy diet though.

Aliyah parents ought to have SS after them they are awful! Poor child . It's all about them isent it!