I &quot;had a childhood&quot; in the sense of going to high school. It damn near killed me, and quite possibly would have if I hadn&#x27;t been fortunate enough to skip a year, or to do a few university-like courses. I look back on those wasted, miserable years and wish I&#x27;d had other options - or thought to seize them for myself.<p>Talk to your child, see what he actually likes. Make sure he knows that he always has a choice - years later my parents told me they thought about homeschooling but didn&#x27;t think they knew enough to, and couldn&#x27;t afford a tutor, but they never even mentioned these thoughts to me at the time.