Thank you for pointing out that being 'smart' or 'gifted' is NOT easy on kids.
Where I grew up it was ok to be smart, if you came from the right family. Otherwise your test grades were a fluke, or other smart kids should have be granted the attention/notice you earned.
Children can be incredibly vicious when no one reins them in. I think if Tony had to attend a regular school in his early years he might have ended up even more leery of human interaction. Some kids take to dumbing down ( the Buffy tactic) Some find a niche to hide in ( I'm a tomboy/car nut/ etc etc) and some just withdraw ( leave me alone in my geekdom). But in the end, it almost always leave scars.
It's hard even with accepting parents, because they don't always see the social pitfalls. And the trite reply of 'it's just elementary school/high school it won't matter in the real world' does no good to a child suffering from isolation or bullying.
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dancing_serpent
Thank you!
Date: 2014-03-08 06:58 pm (UTC)Where I grew up it was ok to be smart, if you came from the right family. Otherwise your test grades were a fluke, or other smart kids should have be granted the attention/notice you earned.
Children can be incredibly vicious when no one reins them in. I think if Tony had to attend a regular school in his early years he might have ended up even more leery of human interaction. Some kids take to dumbing down ( the Buffy tactic) Some find a niche to hide in ( I'm a tomboy/car nut/ etc etc) and some just withdraw ( leave me alone in my geekdom). But in the end, it almost always leave scars.
It's hard even with accepting parents, because they don't always see the social pitfalls. And the trite reply of 'it's just elementary school/high school it won't matter in the real world' does no good to a child suffering from isolation or bullying.