Oh I am struggling with this at the moment! DD goes through phases where she'll shock me by being into particle physics, or frustrate me by asking all week to watch a stupid Disney channel movie like it's the most important thing in the world. I'm right in the middle of a big push for differentiation at school and it's so hard to not feel like a fraud when she's completely gone off anything academic. I know she's gone off school reading because the way-below-her-level books at school are really uninspiring so I'm trying to keep that in mind. Dude (I think) also helpfully mentioned on the Reading Styles thread that kids' stickability may be age-appropriate even though their intellect may be years ahead, so I'm trying to keep that in mind too.
Plus I'm also trying to remind myself that *I* hardly ever push myself to the edges of my capability. I read magazines and watch stupid shows on TV and read Agatha Christie instead of War and Peace
DD has lots of half-done projects hanging around and a pile of books she "wants" to read but isn't and it's soooo hard not to nag her about them because I'm sure that only makes it worse! I guess I just have to keep the faith that soon enough she'll be back to particle physics or whatever interests her next.