Hey everyone, we have been busy hnd I havn't been on much. Fot hose who don't remember DD turned 3 in march.
and is keeping me very busy!
My thoughts for today were precipitated by an incident that happened at the library today. Right before we were leaving a little girl who was about DD age ran in. Said hi to DD and asked if she wanted to play. DD and she went over to the metal air system that is in the children's area that has giant magnetic letters. I was still chit chatting with the librarian when DD came over to me carrying several letters and was very upset. "She won't play the right way. She won't let me spell words. We are supposed to be making words."
The little girl had no clue what the letters she was playing with were and was using the B as glasses. Typical play for this age, but DD later told me that the girl "was very very impolite. I said we should spell words but she would not do it, and she took some of the letters I needed to make my sentence."
Was the girl being impolite, rude.....no, she was being a 3 year old. She had absolutely no concept of spelling or what DD was trying to do, even when DD told her what she wanted. And DD had no concept that the child did not understand. In her mind, of course she knew how to because she is her age and she does....so she chose not to and was rude.
Which got me thinking...DD really has no clue that other kids her age, and even much older kids do not know the things she does. She thinks "babies" have to learn the alphabet, "why would someone not know how to count mom?" has been asked to me before when she was trying to play hide and seek with kids her age when she was 2. She reads at a first grade level, yet most of her age mates are just learning the alphabet if that....she did JUST turn 3 after all. She can count to 100 by 1s, 5's,10's and do addition and subtraction with manipulations and simple addition and subtraction in her head....and has for months, when other kids her age are learning to count. She has known all her colors and shapes since before 18 months, yet in story time, that is what they worked on this past session....and that was for kids older then her. Sigh.....
So with DD having no clue that every other kid her age does not do and know the same things she does, she assumes they are rude and impolite or do not want to play with her. When in reality, they just don't know how. This is one reason I try to put her in situations with 6,7,8 year olds to play, which works much better.
But how do I explain that these kids are not being rude, that they don't know how? Explain that yes she knows and understands much much much more then kids her age, without giving her and elitist attitude. She is no better then them, just different. I don't want this to become an issue and I feel it is...I feel she is starting to think kids are mean and rude all the time....but I feel if I explain it, then I am opening the door to another problem.
I have never talked to her about being gifted, and I don't think it is appropriate yet. So how do I handle these situations.
On another note....you should see the looks I get from the parents as DD spells words and writes sentences with the magnetic letters. Not very nice, let me tell you.
