Taylor B., age 10

Dear Dee,

My teacher said I’m very smart. I can read at a 9th grade level even though I’m only in the 4th grade. My parents want me to skip to 5th grade because I get bored in class but I want to be with my friends. What can I do to convince them to let me stay?

Taylor B., age 10

Dear Taylor,

Let me guess, you’re a “joy to have in class” too? You should be an engineering major at Case Western Reserve University.

Have you considered just giving up? If you do worse in school, you could stay with your friends and get rid of the expectations that your parents have for you. That burnout’s gonna hit you like a truck in 10 years otherwise.