Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Do you pick extracurriculars?

Rifle prodigy: A person who can shoot a target more accurately than adults who have three or four times his experience.

It goes without saying that the target is a piece of paper or other inanimate object, not a person, as you are bewilderingly suggesting a sport shooter might be training to shoot.

YES-- shotgun is done with clay targets, for example. My DH and DD like to go shoot at a local range, which is near the DFW/DNR office and requires steel shot, so it's not crowded. They take a clay launcher with them and a box of clays.

My DH likes upland bird hunting, but my DD definitely has no interest in hunting. She does like target shooting, though.

We'd like for her to try rifle as well because that is something that she can continue in college at several of the institutions that she is looking at-- and at least with an air rifle in the backyard, she's got a pretty good natural skill set.

I fully intend t take my DD shooting now that she is responsible enough. I am determined to have her learn firearms safety and proficiency. Too many people these days have an phobia of firearms. I want my DD to be informed and arrive at her own conclusions in her own time.

DS is on the swim team year round. He also did fencing for a year but he said he got too tired doing it and dropped it this year. He's starting year 4 of private piano lessons and he's been doing private viola lessons for 3 months now; he did it last year in school as a group lesson. I'm hoping he can do piano for 5 years and then drop it in favor of viola.
He's in Cub scouts, year 5 with me as den leader! He says he wants to do Boy Scouts and become an Eagle Scout. That's all he has time for!
He is hearing impaired and has an IEP for that. We have thought music lessons were very important for him to do since he has that disability.

We only have a couple of rules and more guidelines. I have 4 so it is a tough balance to nurture their gifts, let them try different things to find what they like, and not overload.

The rules are they have to be committed enough that we don't have to hound them to practice and keep up with their stuff and once you start a season, you finish it. We did say no to a few things for various reasons, but the yes list is pretty long.


My DD10 is pretty settled in what she is doing. She does Piano (next door so easy), Ballet, and Softball.
My DD8 she homeschools and is also our truly gifted athlete, so it is a challenge to narrow things down. She does competitive gymnastics which is year round. She is also playing soccer and basketball (different seasons, so it works)
My twins DD/S 7 are not gifted and can't handle as much but my son plays Baseball and wants to play Basketball and my daughter after trying everything under the sun and deciding she doesn't like to sweat too much or be outside too long will join the acrobatics team. She was the tough one because she just doesn't have a passionate personality and has a hard time making decisions. So, I basically had to pick something for her that I thought she would like the most and where she wouldn't be in competition with her high achieving sisters. She does like to sing and this year the school will have a choir.

My DD10 is also teaching my son to play the piano (I won't pay for him because he would never practice everyday, but he does want to learn) MyDD8 will get music in her homeschool curriculum.

Dude,

Lol on the swimming. In this part of the country, swimming means intense year round swim team if you are 5 or older. That was on our "no" list. Grandparents both have pools and sister-in-laws are both swim instructors.

Swimming is like that here too- year round and intense. We just try to zen out about it. Our younger son went to the Junior Olympics this summer for the breaststroke, which was exciting!

I wouldn't have known that about the intensity of swimming around here. We have an above-ground pool, and we practically live in it during the summer, so that's where we're teaching DD. It's the only thing that makes Gulf Coast summers tolerable. We all list it as our least-favorite season.

Hyper-competitive swimming? For 5yos?? No thanks.

To date, the only registered activity DS has participated in is a group music class. This fall, we plan to add a general sports program that teaches children a variety of ball sports and a weekly swimming class. Sports are such a great equalizer, and I'd like him to get some familiarity with team based play. Three activities running for a total of 2 hours per week seems about right for his age.

Individual short music lessons are available starting at age 3 locally, which we'll consider if DS continues to be exuberant about his music class. My hope is that he will pick his instrument. At such a young age, I'm most eager to enroll DS in generalist programs that feel like play.


ITA. Target shooting is a favourite activity that I share with my Dad. I'd love to teach my son when he's mature enough, too, if he shows an interest.

Just curious, since someone mentioned the rifle for some schools their kid was looking at and I know water polo is a scholarship generator out west.

Is there a compiled list of extracurriculars that colleges like? will give scholarships or special attention to?