A camp I worked at had a 11 year old genius as a camper. The real kind, the one that could list all of the elements on the periodic table from memory and discus

A camp I worked at had a 11 year old genius as a camper. The real kind, the one that could list all of the elements on the periodic table from memory and discuss them with a clear understanding of their properties. I asked to have him in my bunk; I am not a genius and will readily admit to be his inferior - so no need for competition there (I might even learn from him!). On the other hand, he had clear social deficiencies and was not very sportive, so there are plenty of things he could learn from me. He needed to be grown and changed from an egotistical insecure kid to a insightful intelligent young adult. Instead the camp gave him to the charge of a counselor who was also a genius, and as expected they spent the whole summer each trying to prove they were smarter than the other. The kid usually won, but I can't imagine the summer contributed to a growing experience. Remember that genius doesn't make a person. Don't let it blindside your treatment of them if you are charged with raising them. They need adults to teach them about life, even if the adults can't do math as fast as they could.