Brand new to this group too. I'm also excited and relieved to find a group that understands! Hopefully I don't ramble too much
One of the previous commenters talked about looking for confirmation. My son was just accepted into YS so there's one more thing to help me verify his giftedness. I've had doubts all along, even though my son's pediatrician insisted he was gifted. Even after his psychologist, who specializes in giftedness, showed me the results of the WISC, I doubted. She looked at me perplexed when I questioned the scores.
I've been going through the same whirlwind of emotions. I go back and forth from disbelief to belief. My 8yo son is all I have ever known. Everything to me seems like normal behavior. I'm an older Mom with a child that was not supposed to be (his father was not supposed to be able to have kids), but here I am...SURPRISE...a mom to a gifted 8yo. I am an only child so I have no children around to compare him to. Playdates are so brief. There were odd moments when he showed his giftedness but I didn't think anything of it. Comments like "he's so smart" I equated to him being an only child.
His pediatrician recommended I have him evaluated when he was around 3-4 but I blew her off insisting he was an only child and that was why he spoke like a little adult. As he grew older I shared my fears with her...he doesn't fit in, he's being picked on, he's not interested in what other kids enjoy, he's sooo emotional. Finally around 6yo she insisted I take him to be tested. She told me she knew he was gifted. She informed me he was going to be different then other kids and he was going to have struggles; but that there are groups and schools that understand giftedness. She told me opportunities would be available to him that could benefit him tremendously. So I had him tested at 6.5yo...it blew me away, she was right.
School has always been an issue since pre-K. He's had 6 teachers and been in 4 different schools. Only 2 of those teachers understood him. His K teacher was the last and she was marvelous. 1st grade was a disaster after 2 separate schools, both acclaimed for their gifted programs, we were done. Now I homeschool and my little boy is back. I hadn't realized I'd slowly been losing him. Once we started homeschooling in March in about 2 weeks the change was dramatic. Now he is happy again, his imagination is overwhelming, he's constantly building or drawing some odd contraption. The questions come flying at me...Thank God for Google Home! He's reading at the level he wants. But now that I'm homeschooling, how do I deal with him once his knowledge gets beyond my comprehension. He's already wanting to make things out of broken electrical devices and I have no clue how to help him.
But I'm still second guessing, even with his pediatricians insistence he is gifted and his high scores on the WISC. Now maybe I will stop second guessing with the YS acceptance...I doubt it. My son has issues with psi and wmi, possibly ADHD. So writing, concentration, memorization, emotional control and other areas can be difficult for him. Then there's the fact I'm not gifted nor is his dad. I'm one of those "I don't know what I want to do people". I went to school for engineering and after changing my major 4+ times I finally graduated with a BS in Art photography and Ceramics. What can you do with a BS in Art Photography and Ceramics when it comes to homeschooling a gifted 8yo?
The doubt and second guessing continues but now my main concern is how am I going to teach this little being? I hope I will figure out this huge journey ahead of me...I was a flight attendant at one time maybe that will help
Good Luck! I'm with you.
