Yes, this is correct. I was doing high school level math before I was in kindergarten. My parents taught me other skills setting me up for success, such as how to get up on time, bathe and groom myself, wash and iron my clothes, cook from scratch, etc. I was incredibly bored in school because I didn’t learn anything [of value] from “certified” teachers. When I hear of people whose parents didn’t read to them or have books in the house I’m dumbfounded. It’s literally the simplest thing you can do to help your child.
A lot of parents treat children under the age of 5 as unable to do even the most basic things. In reality this is some of the most important time in a Childs life for learning and building a basic foundation. Like you said, you were doing "advanced" math at a very early age. It is more than possible for many children to learn this if their parents are engaged and don't treat them like tiny moronic humans that can't do anything.
I have very early memories, from when I was crawling, maybe 1.5 yrs, my father and aunt remember vividly things that happened before their first birthdays. Kids are little sponges, anyone who would let a minimum wage person they don’t even know spend 9+ hours per day “raising” the kid is incredibly short sighted and the harm is irreversible.
It often costs more for child care than a 2nd income brings to a home. It is not always the case but it is often the case.
The best thing you can do to ensure the success of your kids is to take a active role in their lives and education while still setting proper but flexible boundaries where necessary. I work in a field that I self taught and I make "good" money compared to some people I know with masters degrees and 200k in debt. It is still very technical and I still keep learning. My family did not have as much engagement as some did but we read together growing up, learned basic skills like plumbing, vehicle maintenance, electrical skills...etc.
A lot of what I learned was "here is a thing, figure it out". Every now and then with a nudge if I got stuck for a while and needed some help. Both of my parents worked full time but at least were able to give me some of the resources I needed to learn on my own.
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