I'm going to try to state it once and for all. Let's see how I do.
Every child is precious and deserves to be thought about well. I mean it, Every Child. Disablilitied. ND. 2E. MG. HG. PG. This is the only position worth taking.
There are other websites that address the experiences of MG children. Further, there are more educational programs that meet the needs of some MG children without a lot of stress from their parents. So what are parents of MG kids doing here? Can a site that makes space for parents of HG and PG kids have something to offer parents of MG kids? I believe so. Depending on the local situation your MG child finds themselves in, and their personality, they may be more 'out of place' than a PG child in a +3SD magnet school, for example. Its about having special educational needs that may or may not be being met. Its about parents who can not afford to passivly allow the local school system to do their business as usual. Some have said that the best way to learn about gifted chldren is to study the experiences of Profoundly Gifted children, because everything is thrown is such stark contrasts.
More importantly, Do parents of MG children have something to contribute here to the parents of HG and PG children? Of Course you do. The fact that you care about a group of families who almost no one else cares about, in itself, is a strong positive contribution. But even more than that, your own experiences figuring out your children absolutly are valuable to helping us figure out our children, and are just as inspiring and important. Some parents of MG children are themselves HG and PG, admit it or not, and your own childhood perceptions are valuable.
Many of us attended school. Usually, School is a world were it's made clear to all that the high achievers are good and valuable, and the rest are not so much. 99% on that test? Good. 98%? Not so good. What a flat, stale, unimaginative place! So I get it that one might feel timid about expressing themselves here. Some of us here even have credentials that their child is very very smart. But 'here' is a place to honor any adult to cares about any child and is willing to go to that uncomfortable place when nescessary on behalf of that child. We, at least, are not in the schoolyard anymore!
It's a big mysterious world, and one of it's beauties is that everyone with love in their hearts has something valuable to offer. If you like reading what we have to say, you probably identify with it in some way. If this can be a home for you, I say, 'Come on inside and pull up a keyboard!' I'm sure some of us will be having 'Am I/my child smart enough to belong here' feeling for a long time, but I would respectfully request that we post about it in terms of how certain experiences have left us feeling timid and unconfident. All of us have those experiences, and so do all of our kids. If we look at this together, we can help each other and our children, and probably every person we come in contact with for the rest of our lives.
Grinity, ((climbing down off the soapbox - or mountian - hummm??))
