Balancing fame and childhood a tricky job for prodigies

“The stress was definitely difficult to handle, but compared to the other contestants, I was at least mentally and emotionally at an age to handle the contest and the stress that accompanied it. In retrospect, I do feel that a huge chunk of my prime teenage years was lost, but I think it’s a compromise that anyone has to make if they want to pursue a career as seriously as this. I think the hardest thing I’ve had to do is keep focused on education when my career was simultaneously taking off and doing well. The schedules have been crazy; the number of opportunities I’ve had to give up for one because of the other are innumerable,” she explains. 

According to counselling psychologist and psychotherapist Dr Latha Janaki, child achievers are able to balance their life, as long as their parents understand how much to push them. “The appreciation that comes from such exposure really pushes them to their optimum levels, but the family needs to develop a coping mechanism to help the child overcome all the emotional boundaries. I remember the case of a whiz kid, who, after years of receiving scholarships, turned to malpractice in her adolescence, when she was not able to meet expectations..”

Ananya V Ganesh, a 11-year-old, turned author recently with her short story collection, 9 Chocolatey Bites, and the student of Chettinad Harishree Vidyalayam says she’s never felt any undue stress to pursue her passion. “My family let me function at my own pace, so I had enough time to think about what I wanted to do, and chose to become a writer. I’m working on my second novel now.”

However, there are many tales of those who are unable to cope with the demands. Pragathi says, “The whole idea of kids competing and becoming famous from demanding reality shows has always been a topic of debate. Seeing both sides of it, I believe families of younger children need to be headstrong and have a plan in mind.”

Dancer and actress Gayathri Raguramm who’s been a mentor for several young children as well as a judge on competitive shows, says that despite a few cases, most parents today are progressive enough to understand how to groom a talented prodigy. 

“There are always exceptions. With YouTube and social media playing such a huge role in a teen’s life nowadays, they are quite aware of the pros and cons of fame, and handle it competently,” she concludes.