Ya' know how some kid's 'fit' certian parenting books? ((humor alert))

To me this sounds like a kid who has read Dr. Sylvia Rimm's 'Why Bright Kids Get Poor Grades.'

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. On one hand it has plenty of great parenting advice that specifically appliest to bright and gifted children. On the other hand, she spends 381 pages on 'it's all your fault' and then on page 382:

Quote
For gifted childrne, insufficient challenge in the classroom can pose special school problems. Unstimulating environments may actually initiate and maintain underachievement even when a child has no particlar parenting problems. ...These children easily fall victim ot Underachievement Syndrome.


Imagine that!

I still find the book very useful because once you have a noncompliant defiant kid, you still have to parent it, even if the cause is school, and you have no particlar parenting problems. Mercy Me!

Remember that when Rimm talks about gifted kids, she is talking about the top 2 or3%. She is well aware of LOG, but sticks to advice that mainstream parents need. If a this is true for a kid who is '1 out of 50' then how much more true is it for kids who are 1 out of 500? Add in the frustration of being surrounded by age-mates who 'only want to play baby games' and you have the recipie for a 'I'm OK, You're NOT OK' worldview. IMHO.

So is it gifted-related?
You have two choices:
1) assume it isn't and get very sharp in the parenting and maybe things will resolve and maybe they won't.
2) suspect that it is and get very sharp in the parenting and maybe things will resolve and maybe they won't, but hold on to great hope that getting him in a more challenging educational environment will make a huge difference.

I'm betting on #2.
Best Wishes,
Grinity

Coaching available, at SchoolSuccessSolutions.com