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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

I'm 38 and don't understand this 100% or have firsthand experience of it. But I can read it. Am I illiterate?[/quote]

You have 34 more years of life experience than a 4-year-old. You're also probably better at abstract thinking than a 4-year-old.

But if you want to think that a 4-year-old is comprehending Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, go ahead. Clearly this child will be ready for Crime and Punishment by age 5, and If This Is A Man by age 7.[/quote]

I'm not the 38yo PP (I wish), but I'm perplexed that you can't believe that this is true.  It is.  There's a vast diversity of humans out there, and some of them are really unusual.  One of mine is.  Kids who are different don't deserve to have their experiences invalidated or dismissed.  They're different.  FWIW, I think that one reason she's like that is just genetic -- it's how my DH's parents describe him as a kid too.  But part of it is she is/was SUPER inquisitive, about big, adult, philosophical and scientific topics.  And we gave her real answers.  We tried kid-level answers, but she wouldn't accept them and keep questioning in more and more precise ways until we couldn't blow her off.  So she learned the stuff she was interested in.  Now, she is absolutely not at that level in other areas (math, social).  But when it comes to reading/critical thinking, she's probably ahead of most 10 year olds.
I'm not bragging, fyi.  I love my other kid (who's not like this) just as much and think she's just as awesome.  Of course my kids are my favorite, but I think all kids are awesome.  I've worked with kids a lot, and I just really like kids.  If you allow yourself to see them for who they are and not try to fit them in a box of what you think all kids are like, they are really interesting.[/quote]

If your 4 year old understands suicide, it isn't because she's gifted.  The best example I can give is that my child at 4 knew about monocles because we were reading a book about different eyewear.  She would appear to have more knowledge than other 4 year olds about monocles at the time, not because she was gifted, but because she had learned about them whereas maybe another 4 year old had learned about eagles or turpentine or gargoyles on that particular day.  Your child didn't learn about suicide because she was gifted or inquisitive any more or less than any other kid.  Damn shame you feel it was appropriate because you think she was ahead of most 10 year olds.  4 year olds don't have the life experiences to understand Harry Potter.  If you gave non-kid level answers about suicide/death wish - well, I got nothing.  Just nothing in response.

No, a 4 year old isn't reading Harry Potter and understanding it - but you can tell yourself that.  Like I said, it is like nails on a chalkboard when someone says their 4/5 year old is reading Harry Potter.  [/quote]

Also I'm not sure why you're so aghast that I have no kid level response re suicide.  I have the response at MY kid's level.  She guided me to where she was in her understanding and I answered her questions.  There's nothing wrong with that.   She understands it is a terrible thing and an awful mistake and waste of life that we would never do. And the people who do it have terrible problems and if she ever thought about it or felt that way to tell us.   But that's really unthinkable for you I guess.  It's good you're not her parent because it sounds like you would tell her to stop asking questions and that she can't read the books she wants to.  Also, I love her just the way she is, so go to hell. [/quote]

I would respond but you're too angry.[/quote]

If she had to stop to ask what it means, she didn't understand when she read it, and presumably it was like this frequently with the text.  If she didn't have to ask what it meant when reading it, in what context were you having a discussion about suicide with her at an unrelated time?  I think it is great for a kid to read any book but would hope that she'd reread one above her life experience level when older to truly understand it as it was intended.  I also imagine she saw the movie first or someone explained it to her first or along the way.  [/quote]

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