I have in the last few months been told by people That I Have Just Met how smart their kids are. At a school get-to-know-you earlier this year, I had no less than 4 people tell he how smart their child was. The other day, a mom I had JUST been introduced to worked in that her daughter gets all As/A+s. Last weekend, a different mom, who AGAIN I had just met, managed to let me know that her son was so smart that "everything he touches turns to gold". OK. I'm flabbergasted. I never say a WORD, although I am starting to get the giggles every time a parent "gets to the brag" before the 2 minute threshold.
I try very hard not to talk about my kids academic situations (or their milestones or unique ways of thinking), preferring that they just blend in with their grade peers and their older friends. But, a lot of people have figured it out over time, having heard about the acclerations -- especially subject. For some reason, this means that a lot of parents like to tell me how smart their kids are. What I've found over the years is that, if a parent talks loudly to me about it, their child is a high-achiever (and, usually, the parent is insecure), but if a parent whispers it to me, their child is more than likely gifted.
In fact, a good friendship of mine was ruined because, when my DD skipped a grade, this friend started incessantly telling me how wonderfully advanced her kids were, while simultaneously insulting our educational decisions.
And so we try to keep it secret how old our kids are (unless asked directly) because that brings up all kinds of questions and, ultimately, judgements by others.
