My 6 year old gifted boy is highly immature. He is extremely social and tries to make every opportunity he gets with any kid into a playdate. This includes places he goes to daily like his classroom, while walking to school, extra curriculars etc. He is always distracting his peers and asking them to join in on the "fun" stuff he likes to do. For e.g. in his class there are 4 other boys and he has lured them all into playing with legos in the classroom while class is in progress on several occasions - the teacher has a "split class" where she teaches another grade on another side of the classroom and moves back to the K class and while she is gone, all the boys have moved to the lego area because of my son and they have not completed the given task. If he attends his martial arts class, he tries to play tag with all the kids on the floor and gets disciplined for it frequently. My son's teacher sends me notes that he is a distraction and a disruption. She acknowledges that he is gifted and that he is super bored and that he is a superior multitasker who can finish his tasks without completely focusing on what he is doing. She has asked me to send in a work packet from home if I wanted to challenge him as the school does not differentiate until the 2nd grade. And he refuses to work on the packet because it makes him "stand apart" from his friends (his words) - looks like he is trying to blend in and trying to fit in.
I have noticed that the "clowning around" is largely an effort on his part to make himself likable and to blend in.
I want him to be more mature and focused. And also to do things that serve him well instead of trying to blend in and hide his abilities. How does a parent approach such a kid and get through to him?
Thanks in advance.
