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Hi
I just had to share because DH is out and i have to tell someone, it was just so unexpected that I am kind of blown away. Took DS to ped for a couple of nagging health issues which we didn't know were something or nothing, turns out he is fine but need a bit of treatment It's a group practice and we have a favorite but she is on leave, so made an appt with 2nd favorite who we don't usually see so she doesn't know us well.

DS is 5 and when she came in he was reading, and all through the visit she was asking him questions and really talking to him. After she and figured out what she needed to know about why we came, she starts asking me all this stuff about school and what he's into, and I was honest but not really elaborating sort of my usual and suddenly she says you might want to consider Mensa jr for support - i think I hurt my neck, it snap to attention so fast. So I say i go online to davidson and she says oh yes, great org, probably be helpful for you, you know he's going to need several grade skips!!!!! Hello! 10 minutes with him, why pay for testing!!! Then she asks what we are supplementing with and I tell her and tell her how we moved to hopefully get better options, and she said it will be tough, I mention a better peer classroom, she says, just needs 1 or 2 on the same level, etc. On and on!

It was probably more frank in front of DS than I would have liked, not sure he was listening about that we moved for better school options, but seriously this was the best conversation in real life I have ever had with anyone about my kid outside of family. This place has been the only place to be real and suddenly out of no where comes this
awesome, you are doing a great job, he is doing great, keep it up, it will be tough, but you are doing great!!!

It was so unconditionally supportive and encouraging i didn't want to go. And of course we will change pediatricians due to the move!!!!

Anyhow, just had to share, not sure why, maybe just want to document the 5 minutes of my day where I get to be real about the full range of my awesome kid and got some credit not for being a PITA or so self absorbed or living vicariously and didn't have to guard my tongue for fear of insulting another parent. Wow. I'm not sure I knew I felt that way until suddenly the veil was lifted.

DeHe

Wow, that is awesome! Congratulations on finding a great ped.

Lovely story! Thank you for sharing.

Wow, DeHe! That almost made me tear up! How wonderful to be unguarded and supported and understood! And to think it happened in the real world and not just here. Yea!

Nice! I'll bet that doc either has an HG+ kid, or went through grade skips herself. I always find that it's me educating the doctors about GT issues. Lucky you!

Wow! That was great to hear/read. Awesome!

That's great! I've actually happily had that same experience with a couple pediatricians myself. Our current is very much on board with homeschooling for our kids. :-)

Excellent! I'll bet you go to that one from now on!

That is AWESOME!!!! Did anyone participate in that survey about how well or not Dr.'s understand gifted children? I think it was through SENG, but I could be wrong. It was about 2 months ago. There is some study going on about how Dr.s don't really ask about gifted children's needs or make recommendations etc.

Wonderful to hear that there are some out there! I have to say, I am a believer in things happening for a reason. I think this Dr. was meant to fall into your lap! Use it as a resource! That is wonderful!

That's wonderful! Before we moved we were going to a group practice and we actually had two separate peds there talk to us about DD. It was great to get feedback and not feel crazy for everything we were seeing.

DeHe, Wow, lucky you! I've had that experience once, but 99.9% of the time I feel like a pita. Nan

I did the SENG survey -about the other dr and this one was better!!! I wish we could keep her, its just too inconvenient, she did say she liked the practice we were going to, but that some were great and some we might not like,which now I am translating to might think I am a PITA!

DeHe

I did the survey too. I have had a ped. comment on the intelligence and say that DC would be a handful because of it, but that was the extent of it. never pointed to educational options or recommendations. We switched docs for other reasons but now DC is older and doesn't go as frequently, so there isn't much room for that topic unless I bring it up (which I don't.)

Hi nan
I feel like a PITA some of the time, but mostly I feel like people think I am exaggerating because of some need of mine to make myself better than them - which then translates into them wanting to "test" ds, which is so rude. So its been very lips glued, which is not my natural state, LOL! I get doing that with other parents, given the competitive way some are, but it irked me to be treated that way by professionals - they should be open to the spectrum of abilities. But of course I do understand, especially in NYC that they have to deal with the "my kids is brilliant" parents when they are just nicely gifted. Of course only here can you say - just nicely gifted!!!

Finally got to tell dh - and he really reacted to the phrase "grade skips" as in more than one - he remembered other dr's noticing the differences - like reading the big words like immunizations, but she was the first to translated it to needs - his and ours.

DeHe

Yeah, I think it would have been so useful this past year - but now that I have this place, I think we need it less. Although it still would be nice to have someone who knows him as an individual

DeHe

Heck, with sites like this who needs the rest?

Very cool story; I have been similarly surprised by my dd4's girl scout leader, she didn't bat an eye when we asked to have dd (in k) in the daisies.
Since then, she will send me a note from time to time about something really funny/clever that dd says (that the first grade girl's didn't necessarily understand), or send info about a gt oriented program my dd might enjoy (or my son, now that the leader knows him too). In fact, she is the same person who started up the odyssey of the mind team this year at school.

The other day someone in the group asked if we were going ahead with first grade for dd in the fall, and when I started waffling on it, this lady immediately piped up with -- 'oh no, she will be too bored repeating k!', so it is really encouraging that at least with her, I am not considered a 'pita', etc., as the original poster put it!

She has 4 kids all or most are gifted, so she is really a great person to chat with. It is entirely unexpected. (dd of course LOVES her).