And read a lot about how to deal with overexcitabilities in gifted children. It helped us a lot with dealing with our easily frustrated and sensitive (yet terrific) tyke...
Also is there a gifted kids association in your town/county, maybe they can help with suggestions?
And last but not least, know that you are not alone. Welcome!
Thanks Max'sMom, Do you have any suggested reading list for gifted kids? there is nothing is my area for gifted kids so it will be mostly info from the internet and praying that we will find some good peers when school starts.
time and exposure will definitely help!
I hope then i am doing the right things by her.. Thats one issue i always think of.. how do I encourage her to say hello, but not to eventually blurt out all our business?!! hoping she will automatically find the balance!! Its so hard to teach politeness yet fear of strangers and the wrong people.
When it comes to attention, my DD is like this: she will play for long periods of time alone, then she comes for cuddles and wants me to play or do something with her. As long as she has had some together time, she will happily go off again. If during that time i comment on something she does eg: The colors you chose are great, or are you enjoying that? or what are you making? she will generally find an excuse to put herself down..I try to differ that i think she has done a great job, but that soon becomes an aruement to which I say I can have an opinion, but she will generally huff if i pursue those ideas and stop the activity. A half year ago or so we went through a phase of whenever i said well done she had a tantrum. She would tell me it wasn't well done, that she could have done it better by "fill in long explanation". I have tried approaching her different, and have noticed if we are in front of others she will smile if i say great! but at home she will tell me the green she mixed wasn't the shade she wanted, or that shes not enjoying it because she can't get a certain thing to go right. I don't comment much lately.. We seem to get on with our own stuff.. A bad thing maybe?
But outside is a different story. Its like she is copying the other kids and wants the praise for what they are praised for. She changes, tries to fit in maybe?! Maybe its her way of trying to get in with the crowd. She is generally very shy, and watches other kids at a distance and i see her laughing about what they do. At some later point then she will "try it out" in front of the other moms to see if she gets the same reaction. eg. with the counting. She copies their actions straight after and looks for approval from them. I don't matter.. But thats just randomly. Its not the whole time that we are on the playground.
@motheroftoddler: If one kid counted to 10 or 20 or whatever and smiled at me i would at least smile. Its not about whats important to us, it's what is important to the kid. They feel an achievement, i wouldn't blank them. I am hoping that the lack of over praise in that case may be a good thing aquinas.
