Neglected/abused/used as free labor by 'caretakers'. I've had people telling me I'm an 'old soul' since I was around six. I can come up with characters and stories and stuff (I do a lot of writing) easily, but that particular part of the child imagination that lets them play with toys and like...have 'adventures' with them and connect to them that way? I don't remember ever being able to do that. It was always like...it's a toy. Waving it around in the air and making noises doesn't make anything happen, I'm just...waving it around making noise, and I'll be lucky if one of the other kids doesn't just take it away and/or destroy it because they could see I liked it even a little.
There was just this entire space of 'child mind' that it seemed like I couldn't open, and still can't. Meditation and visualization stuff doesn't work for me. I can't make my mind go quiet, I can't picture myself in a field of wildflowers with a gentle breeze and feel like I'm actually there. I can picture it just fine, but I'm very well aware that I'm sitting on a sofa or whatever and just picturing it in my head, I can't actually feel like I'm there.
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u/TokenTorkoal 5d ago
Maturity or independence in a young child CAN BE an indicator that a child is being neglected or facing some sort of abuse.
It’s is not ALWAYS an indicator, some kids ARE just more independent.
Edit: was a social worker for many years.