I suppose I just haven't looked hard enough but until today I haven't been overly successful with finding other people who UNDERSTAND. Yay for this site!
I am a mother of two girls.. a 2.5 yr old (as of this week) and a 1 yr old. My 2 year old is so advanced it's embarrassing.
Facts about her:
- she speaks in complete sentences, has fully cognizant conversations, has a very "grown up" understanding of everyday things (actions, reasons, etc)
- has a very adult control over her emotions
- knows, recognizes, counts 1-20 without any training on my part
- knows all the alphabet, their sounds, her known sight word list is around 30- something, she recently started blending words together (CVC words) all because she watched a Leap Frog video.
- her coloring is that of a neat 5 yr old, she is already drawing stick figures and birds etc
- her memory is scarily correct.. she can hear one rendition of any song before she knows it
- she walked at 9 months, potty trained herself at 22 months (she literally decided one day she wanted to be like Mommy and Grandma and use the big potty.. that was it..she was then potty "trained")
- seriously there are so many things I could go on and on
AnyWAY..
It is hard to have such a "gifted child." I am extremely proud of her intelligence but because of her proclivities we have a hard time "fitting in." For example, we are active in a playgroup. I get along with the other Moms but in a playgroup there is always comparing and "when did __ do this?" type questions and honestly I find myself either wanting to lie or making excuses as to why she really isn't all that great. That sounds bad.. I know.
It also creates a lot of tension between my sister and I. Her kids are 9,8,6,&5. All her kids are advanced but not as much as mine and so a lot of comments about how weird my daughter is and how she'll never have any friends and how grateful (my sister) she is about not giving birth to freaks... etc
Does this sound familiar?
We're having a hard time balancing everything. I wish I could help her to fit in but I do not want to teach her to play dumb. Also, next week I am starting her in what I term "half preschool." Until this point I have made an effort not to teach her too much but she is definitely ready for phonics and basic math and I feel like I'm holding her back if I don't start it. Of course, I do not talk about it with other moms because I either get a nasty comment on parents pushing their babies or I make all the others uncomfortable because it would be laughable even imagining their two year old doing the same.
Soo.... any helpful suggestions on "fitting in" or any ideas? Am I crazy for starting her so early in phonics and basic math? Honestly, the child is teaching herself to read. I figure I might as well help her out.
I apologize for the rambling nature of this post..
I am glad to find a forum like this
