DD8 had her first day of 3rd grade at the new, more gifted-friendly public school. It was agony watching her standing alone against a pillar, her sullen face staring at the ground as her new classmates hugged and greeted each other, when she could have been at her old familiar home school hugging and greeting her old friends.

She seemed better by the end of the day. She mentioned that some of her fellow students had "hard" books on their desks, and when I told her she should bring a book to read between testing, she picked out the heavy science encyclopedia that she has hardly touched. A positive sign! But then last night she already said she wanted to go back to her home school...

These decisions are like giving vaccinations. You know it's probably going to do them good in the long run, but you also know it is going to hurt.