In addition, I doubt that more than one person in this case originally viewed the OP's signature line as potentially, theoretically offensive.
I am not the person who complained originally, and I haven't contributed to this thread so far (although I've been reading it) but I have to say, I am surprised that you seem so bothered by the OP changing her signature line. My take was NOT that she felt coerced, but that she had the opportunity to hear how others viewed or might view her tagline and reevaluated it. I will admit that I'm sensitive, but I did think the signature line was in bad taste from the first time I saw it. It was actually very interesting to me to read the OP's explanation, because I had taken it in an entirely different way. I think it was DeeDee who said that she viewed it as more "don't bother hothousing your kid, you really can't make him/her gifted." That was how I viewed it. It seemed to me the kind of remark I associate with parents who like to pretend that their child was born knowing the periodic table and who staunchly deny that they ever do anything to help their child learn (which I always thought was kind of silly - we're all born with different aptitudes, but I'm sure that just by talking to my children, taking them to museums, reading with them, discussing, etc... I am certainly helping them develop that natural, inborn aptitude).
Anyway, it definitely didn't bother me enough to say anything, but it made me cringe when I read it (although now that I understand it, it doesn't). So, isn't it just possible that in the same way that I came to understand the siggy line in a new light, the OP also had an "aha" moment, and thought, "well, even though I meant this in a totally benign way and never in a million years thought it could be offensive, hmmmmm... maybe it could be read the wrong way, and since I want to come across as open and supportive to other-especially new-parents of gifted, i think I'll change it?"
Theresa
