Thanks so much, Trinity,

I love your story. I think I've experienced the same thing in many ways, both personally and with my kids. Some of my proudest moments were taking that leap outside my comfort zone--in high school applying to a program with the University of Iowa to spend Christmas break studying ecology in Florida (and miraculously getting the scholarship!) or being selected to work on a geological research vessel off Puerto Rico. It would have been so much easier to hang out with my friends at home over Christmas break, but something told me I should give it a shot.

I have cultivated this relationship with my son that I make a slurry of recommendations of possibilities for him and it's his choice. He has chosen to challenge himself in the past, with taking the ACT/SATs, summer institutes, outward bound, online courses (though I think skipping was not optional). I feel I need his buy-in and perhaps this time it's that I haven't done a thorough enough job of outlining the possibilities, partly because high school is all new to me and a bit scary to mess with. I'll work on that.

I do know better--you're right. I have convinced my kids to "try" camps or summer institutes or even extracurricular activities and that if they didn't like them--they didn't have to go again. It's worked out and opened their eyes, making them crave more.

Did you read that article in the Duke Gifted Letter by Graham, which ended by saying that these kids are often in school for up to 25 years, so trimming off a couple one way or another can only help them? http://www.dukegiftedletter.com/articles/vol7no4_feature.html

Gotta give this more thought--I'm sorry for interrupting Ania's topic and will stop now.

Thanks again.