When I was in 4th grade my best friend "gained entrance" into the gifted program and I didn't. She told me, very carefully (and looking back, in a very patronizing manner) "don't worry, I'll still be friends with you"
I guess I was reassured (?) but I remember being confused. It makes me laugh now. It's something that might be in a sitcom.
I wasn't surprised not to get into a gifted program because I was very quiet, struggled in reading until 3rd grade and would never catch up with her reading level, and came from a family of voracious readers (parents and siblings with advanced reading levels!) and people using big words and having a quick wit. The stereotypical gifted types...obviously gifted to the world.
When my parents finally did find out my IQ, it wasn't too bad and surprised everyone. My mother will still sometimes say "we couldn't believe your IQ was that high - you were so quiet!" That's how alot of people (and schools, still today) think about giftedness.
There are many ways to be "gifted" for raising a very smart kid. Gifted in patience, not having a huge ego helps smooth the wheels, admiting that you don't know what you don't know, being willing to find the answers and not always assuming you have the answers, and having an open mind...
