My second is very ahead of the first... the difference is extreme, to say the least. (Both of my girls are adopted, so the "sibling IQs are typically similar" doesn't apply here.) My oldest is in a gifted program within an excellent public school. This program meets her needs very well. My youngest is so different, I often fight off worry - I am not sure if this school, as wonderful as it is, can meet the needs of my youngest when she's old enough to attend. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
She's still preschool age, so I try to just take it one day at a time and help her appreciate "being a kid." At almost three, she is nowhere near ready for testing, and there isn't a need for it yet, so I just try to parent her as I would any child while still accommodating her unique needs. We do lots of "experiences" such as gardening, visiting the zoo, hiking, heading into the city, cooking together, etc to help bridge the gap between her intellectual and real life knowledge. I also take her to playgrounds often, and we do lots of messy arts and crafts.
I think my biggest challenge is to follow her lead on a daily basis. Some days that means learning more than I ever wanted to know about the dwarf planets... and sometimes that means playing with Mr. Potato Head for two hours.
