Wow. Thank you all so much for your responses. I actually am a little teary reading everything. I am not sure why but it is making me a bit emotional. I am just thankful to hear from a few of you who have some experience with this and can understand a bit where I am coming from here. Thank you.
I think I need some time to process everything. This is hard right now because my husband and I are just coming to the realization that our "smart baby" may in fact be more than just a smart kid (like we were :)) and that it can/will impact his life in ways we hadn't thought about yet.
I like the recommendation about reading about giftedness. Any books that you would recommend specifically? There does seem to be some familial connections...I was identified as gifted in school, my brother-in-law qualified for Mensa, my husband is also very bright, my father-in-law could apparently read at a very young age (3?). But even with that background, we have not been prepared for our son's abilities.
And I really appreciate the thought that the cookie cutter parenting advice no longer apply. It hadn't occurred to me, but it certainly makes sense. And thank you for saying my son sounds totally awesome. He is
. That made me smile and I appreciate it!
One last question here before I go and explore this site a bit more to learn some more on my own. In your experience, are there characteristics that are more typical for a gifted child? My son (he is social and plays with other kids - though he prefers older kids) has always been a bit different than the other kids we are around. I wonder if it is just his own personality or if these are characteristics common among kids who are advanced in this way? For example, he is VERY active almost to the point of making me worry about ADHD, but at the same time he has intense focus on things he is interested in. People joke that he "doesn't stop" and "only has one speed-GO" and I always get comments about how full my hands are with him. He is also what many describe as intense and very determined.
Anyhow, I will stop for now. I have so much to learn and now that I am here I have so much to say and ask. Please bear with me! And thanks again.
