Thank you Remalew for sharing your personal story - it is definitely my son smile. For so long I have been obsesessed with getting him the academics that he needs and deserves that I never really looked at how he was feeling about it. I'm just so sad to see him "waste" this wonderful gift that he has been given. I guess it's hard to explain this to an 11 year old who just wants to be friends with the right kids and to not be known as the "smart kid" - as he always has been (but never in a negative way). When we went to the CTY awards I think he looked around and thought I don't want to be one of these people as they seemed nerdy to him - and please I am not trying to offend anyone, I am just trying to relate what my son is feeling.

I think a mentor is an excellent idea and Remalew if you have an idea of what kind of mentor to find I will take any kind of advice. Also, how can I let him become independent while creating responsibility? The CTY awards were held at a College University and he thought it was one of the greatest places he had ever been to (it had an amazing baseball field). I told him he would need good grades to get in and he said no he wouldn't, he could just get in on baseball. For some reason his sense of reality is warped a lot of the time. But this might be a way to find some drive and passion - which is desperately missing.

I'm sure you turned out wonderfully and that your mother is more than proud of you. The few gray hairs that my DS and my 4 other children have given me are lovingly covered up by hair color smile. Thanks so much again.