So, as parents, we are finally learning our lesson to just smile and say something along the lines of "I'm happy that our wonderful school system is so very careful when determining the needs of its students." That lets the other person know that it was not us as pushy parents who made the decision, but the school after careful consideration and testing. And then I rapidly change the topic by asking about their kids. People, after all, and usually happier when talking about their own kids and their accomplishments. This can lead to some very one-sided (and lonely) conversations, with the irony being that you can be actively in a conversation and still be lonely.
Kriston, I think there is a different between being secure in knowing what your child needs and thus stop asking other parents for advice, and still needing the support that you reference by being allowed to share your own side of the story and your own successes and frustrations. Even when I have figured out what my own kid needs <LOL! Like that ever happens for more than a blink of an eye!>, it is still nice to have someone to talk to that will not either compete with me or find fault with the decisions that I have made. At least for me, this is very hard to find! (present company excluded, of course!
)
I hear that, ebeth!
I agree completely.
In those handful of cases I've found IRL where a child is really HG+ and there's no competition, no fault-finding, it's such a relief! It's like joining a secret sisterhood. I have one truly disappointing homeschooling acquaintance with kids probably HG and with whom I was hoping for a real friendship--so much in common! But she's got some of those competition issues (or something...) going on, and it was not a good experience. I'm still mourning that lost opportunity, to tell you the truth. But you have to take people where they are. *sigh*
I agree that without *some* connection with *someone* who gets what you're going through, it's a very lonely road. As I often say, whatever would we do without this forum? It at least lets us tell our stories and feel like we're not alone. Some of my contacts here have even become IRL friends, and that has been so wonderful!
It makes sense: we have shared a lot of detail about what we're going through, and it's actually quite intimate stuff because we can't share it with most people. It only makes sense that these friendships sometimes become "real" instead of merely virtual. It helps.
