Yes, we are super sensitive to those around us when we ourselves tend to go in that direction. As I said in the first post ... as parents with gifted children, we should support each other. I suspect you noticed the looks from the other parents and if you are like me, put yourself in her shoes which just made it worse. I, too, have had similar issues with a group of moms. My DD's dance class last year had some possible gifted girls in it, especially one where her older brother was accepted into the gifted program for kindergarten. The mom was very careful on how she approached it, especially with one mom whose son is possibly on the spectrum and was considering holding him back from starting kindergarten the next year, but her argument was that he wasn't reading yet. Perhaps her saving face approach to the other reasons she was considering it (not that having a child on the spectrum is a bad thing but I think to the mom it was unthinkable). This set the stage for some interesting conversation and with the mom of the gifted child basically boasting about her son reading before he entered kindergarten but he was not in the norm. I really didn't mind her information and wasn't offended by it but sat up when I heard the same mom argue the famous 'they all even out by 3rd grade'. I just saw it as a major put down to her own child. When I out and out asked her if she really believed that, she changed her tune and admitted that she didn't.
Talking about a gifted child in the social setting can be difficult and for the most part I stay away from it. I have come to realize that it isn't important that the other mothers know that my child is gifted. It really is important that I accept it and do everything in my power to encourage her to learn and not lose her spark. I don't even discuss it with her teachers because I feel like I'm boasting. Still a problem I need to get over and a sign that I have been burned a few times in the past and just don't want to deal with it. This said ... last week I talked to DDs teacher for an update on her progress and discovered that she is doing really well and progressing across the board. (She is in a Spanish Immersion program.) While talking to her teacher, I gave her some background on DD which didn't shock her. She has told me on numerous occasions that DD is a very smart little girl. But it felt good to tell her a little bit about DD which might explain why she is able to do what she sees her do in class but also to allow the teacher to challenge her even more. We like the school and find there is challenge in the fact that it is taught in Spanish but I know what they are working on which equates to kindergarten level work for public schools is still not much of a challenge for DD. She is 3 1/2 and equal to second grade. I am doing my part at home, providing her with more challenging work and I hope that with the Spanish fulfills her. Right now she seems happy and loves school. So maybe we are doing something right.
