Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums GT Research The inconvenience of being verbally gifted

I so clearly recall telling my mother that I was depressed in 5th grade and her responding that, "you don't know what it feels like to be depressed." I'm sure that she meant no harm and truly believed that at the time.

I do think that it is common for adults to believe that children's emotions differ from adult emotions in the degree of depth. I'd have to say that they probably do not differ in that manner and children are probably even less equipt to deal with the depth of those emotions because they lack the perspective that comes with more life experience.

Well said Cricket!

I think those of us who lived it can understand that "Yes, it can be that bad." I often find myself trying to convince others that when DS says he hates school and himself it is not something that all kids say/feel. It is about a profound sense of being different and loneliness.

Breakaway

What a provocative read (and also the Wisenheimer piece - I was a teenager in CT in the '80s too).

I wince when I read the term verbally gifted, though. I prefer "social acumen" to verbal giftedness because the gift is more about having social insight and communication judgment than it is about words. Master use of ideas, not use of words. DD has this, for sure.