Welcome Jennem,
This forum has been a wonderful source of support in helping us cater to our son's needs and has offered amazing advice on what to do accompany him in his activities and interests. I do not post often as I have very little time but reading other parents' experiences and concerns have offered great solace throughout the past couple of years (the signs started at 2 months old, he is now 2.4). All forums here have a lot to offer
What I found the most challenging were the high HIGH energy levels (he can sleep as little as 4 hours a day and is ALWAYS on the go and into things), the asynchrony (emotionally 2.5 for the most part i.e a temper tantrum because he wants to sit in THAT chair and not another identical one but intellectually much older than that i.e obsessed with details about planets, the systems of the human body, numbers, letters (and turning them upside down so he can discover new ones
) and recently for some unknown reason, Russian orthodox mass ceremonies on youtube
) and empathy levels so high that they cause anxiety (it is our National day where we live and there were fireworks and he got so upset because he was convinced Mercury got hurt in the process, we had to sit him down and talk it out with him)...In short, you may go through a lot of head-scratching and anxiety yourself when you see your baby thrive unlike other children that you might encounter...it can be a lonely experience but it doesn't have to be.
How I started was by reading a lot on the internet (the above links posted were a great start), buying toys and games that were beyond his age but always according to his interests of that moment and letting my own father who is profoundly gifted to do many activities with him on a weekly basis (that helped a LOT, so if yourself, a close friend or a family member is similarly inclined, I would say don't be afraid to ask for their help and advice, not being fearful to explain things to him as if he was 8 but always keeping in mind that he is only 2 and that rolling in the mud, drawing on my walls (even if those are numbers rather that squiggles) and temper tantruming is totally part of his development...
In terms of being a perfectionist, how we handled that was to not to try to teach him when he was rolling on the floor because he didn't write a perfect M at 18 months old. We waited until another time when we initiated a game and asked him if he would like to write together...he was much more receptive..possessive is normal for his age...reading stories about sharing can also help
The ride will be challenging but exciting...Your son sounds wonderful...welcome!
