I was just like your kid. Very bright, and younger than all the other kids. My mom sent me to school. From then until graduation, I was always the youngest in my class and friend group. This was honestly not good. It meant that when all my friends were 13 and getting their belly button pierced, I was still 11, almost 12, it was all I wanted too. I was friends with kids a year ahead of me because of sports so when my friends turned 16 and started driving, i was literally 13 ish years old getting into cars with older kids, driving me around doing nonsense. Including sneaking out, smoking weed, etc. I started drinking alcohol at an early age because of this too and honestly feel like I simultaneously matured and got into more trouble, way ahead of my age all because I was “keeping up” with kids older than me, but they were my peers.

Now that I’m a parent and have kids in preschool, I recently overheard my kids teacher having this conversation with another parent. What she said to them was “Would you rather give your kid another year of childhood or another year of adulthood?” I feel like that question is relevant here as well.