I wonder if anyone else has problems with their kids getting restless and bratty when they get bored? I'm having a hard time deciding how much of this is his need for mental stimulation, and how much is just me overindulging him and not letting him learn to entertain himself. Here's an example. He's been complaining for quite a while that he's bored at school. While he didn't get in a LOT of trouble, I was noticing more frequent notes saying he was chatting a lot and distracting the other kids. So after getting permission from his teacher, I bought him a spiral notebook and started sending him with some math, grammar, and writing to work on. Problem stopped almost immediately, and he's happy to be doing some work that is a little more challenging. That also freed up some time at home so I don't feel like he's doing nothing but school work all the time. On the surface it seems perfect. But I wonder if maybe I should try to ensure that he learns to deal with boredom in more positive ways? He does the same thing at home - if he has too much free time he gets grouchy and mean.
For all I know, this may not even be a gifted issue - it may just be a typical 7 year old issue. But I would love to hear the opinions from anyone who may know anything about this. Keep him constantly stimulated? Or let him learn to entertain himself?
