I've been struggling w/ this question. Yet everyone I speak to tells me my son's issues are not normal. It's not normal for a chid to have stomach aches everyday before school. In K, he cried many, many, many evenings before bed, telling me how boring and awful his days are. I saw the love of life, learning just drain from him. It took over a month over the summer to see his personality return. Now, you can have a kid who is struggling w/ school and have the same outcome ie stomach aches etc. I've given him 3yrs to get used to the system and it hasn't happened. During school he is so difficult at home yet he's nice to be w/ during the summer.
I think as in everything, it's a continuum. If child just complains of noise but it doesn't adversely affect them, perhaps help them brainstorm ways to deal with. Sit in the quietest part of the lunch room etc. but if a child is so bothered he/she can not function - this needs to be addressed w/ OT, accommodations etc. After all, if they are in school to learn, and something is preventing them from learning, that something needs to be addressed. I don't think it's a giftedness issue.
If it was one subject my kid found boring, I'd help him to find coping strategies etc. That's learning to deal w/ and cope w/ adverse situations. But should a child who knew 85% of the curriculum the year or more before have to suffer through it year after year?
I think the question to ask is - is the *something* he is complaining about interfering with learning? Interfering with social relationships? Interfering with self-image?
