My six-year-old came home from school last week saying she hates math because the worksheets are boring. I've seen her spend an hour building elaborate Lego structures that involve counting, symmetry, and problem-solving, so I know she's capable of complex thinking. This gap between what she finds engaging at home and what the classroom demands got me thinking: are we pushing kids too early into formal learning structures that kill their natural curiosity? When did childhood become a race to meet academic milestones instead of a time for unstructured play and discovery?