The five steps to create a child prodigy
And what parents with very young kids can do.
A couple of weeks ago, I heard on news media that Gitanjali Rao, a 15-year-old girl from Colorado, will be featured on the TIME magazine’s front cover.
Gitanjali is a brilliant inventor and a scientist. Last year, she featured on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. She has created history for herself by being TIME’s first-ever kid of the year.
Personally, I’ve always been intrigued by such breakout successes, especially if they involve a child prodigy. But Gitanjali is not the only one. We’ve seen and heard many other child prodigies.
But what exactly makes one a child prodigy? Can a child prodigy be created, or are they innate?
My answer to this question is a child prodigy is created and not something innate. But before I discuss why I think so, let’s look at the two defining characteristics of a child prodigy.
1.A child prodigy develops a deep desire for something or shows a unique talent when they’re just about 9 years old.
Mark Zuckerberg, Magnus Carlsen, Venus and Serena Williams, once considered child prodigies, all began doing what they’re doing on or around the age of 9. Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Tiger Woods began much earlier.
Is there something magical about this age? Yes. A child at this age is utterly uninhibited. They are both old and bold enough to articulate their dreams and desires and show sustained interest in what they like to do.
2. During this age, a child prodigy trusts and listens to their inner voice. However, compelling and persuasive the outer voice, a child prodigy ignores it. Often, this confuses a parent or a teacher, and in some cases, it is also seen as a rebellion. The system around the child swings into action to apply restraint or course correction. Most times, these interventions fall flat.
Let’s look at the process that makes a child prodigy.
1.Future child prodigies tinker around with their interest or talent. They give themselves about 1–2 years to get a solid handle on that. It’s a myth that these prodigies know it all or can do things faster or easier than others.
2. Once they’ve got a handle on what they’re doing, they commit to it from ages 11 to 16. During this time, their area of interest becomes their passion and all-consuming.
3. And lastly, they continue to resist the outside voice. This trait is especially crucial because as the child prodigy grows older, the external voices become stronger and more determined to distract the prodigy.
History is replete with cases of much-touted child prodigies who lost their path and could never get back to their original mindset only because they were vulnerable to these outside voices.
This brings us to the main question. What can you do as a parent?
If you’re a parent and have a very young child, then you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a prodigy out of him/her.
Here are the five time-tested steps you can take to become a catalyst in your child’s prodigal abilities.
1.Notice for signs of deep interest in something or an exceptional talent in your kid. If your kid shows promise in academics, double down your spending and time on it. The same applies for music or sport or another talent.
2. Once you’ve gotten them started, don’t kill their inner voice with your well-meaning parental advice or guidance. Remember, you were not a prodigy.
3. Let your child tinker around with their liking for a couple of years. They may quit on what they thought was their passion. Regardless, don’t question them.
4. Instead of being a parent, become their manager. Just follow them everywhere like their shadow.
5. Finally, shield them as much as possible from the external voices. Vulnerability is no respecter of talent.
