She broke down during dinner tonight with cries of "why am I so different from everyone in my class. I don't want to be different, I want to be like all of my classmates." It turns out she has noticed recently that she thinks differently and works differently than everyone else in both kinder and gr 1 and she doesn't like it.
Is she prone to 'breaking down' in general, or is this unusual for her?
Is there a grade where she can stay with the same kids all day and be at a reasonable level of fit? Usually a combo of full skips and subject accels is what works best, but for now, she may be better off with a full skip to 2nd or 3rd so she have a group to at least try to 'fit in' with.
You can keep telling her that it's ok to be different, but also support that part of being human is wanting to be 'part' of a group. If she is old enough, apply to Davidson's Young Scholar's program, if she qualifies - so that a few times a year she can have the experience of fitting in. Also - look for Adults or older kids who are passionate about what she is passionate about - really - any group will do.
It's also ok to teacher her that there are a lot of sad things in the world that are beyond anyone's control that we just need to cry and rage over until we can pick ourselves up and 'play the hand we were dealt.' The old 'Courage to change the things we can....'
Also - you can let her post here about what is bothering her, in a new topic, and we'll get our kids on to answer her nicely.
Love and More Love,
Grinity
