Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Hothouse Spinoff

Back to twinkletoes comment. �I didn't have time to type more, but I sure want to commisurate. �The boy's latest game? �He lines up 3 stepstools and runs down the hall and jumps from stool to stool. �Rinse. Repeat. �For an hour at a time. �The mall playground is the best thing anyone ever thought to make. �We go to the outdoor playground less because of the extreme summer heat here. �
In response to ultrimarina,
and possibly amitrine (since I'm not sure which part of my post you wanted a this new thread posted to discuss?)
I think maybe they think that if the parent does not show restraint then, "what does that leave for them to learn in kindergarten?" and the unspoken social ripples that choice makes.
I think there's another type who think that think along the lines of education, by nature, teaches a mind to think in a box. �Therefore, what a waste! �And so young. �That's almost right. �They say learning another language allows you to think about things that other culture believes that your culture doesn't even have words for (citation required), or something like that.

Wow - I came to this thread late, but I am so glad it exits!

Dd is un-hothouse-able as far as I can see. Any time I have tried to bump her up in an area (for example maths facts - her school seems to think she is incapable of conceptualising anything unless she can do her maths facts quickly, which is not the case...sigh), she'll humour me for a week or so and then she's done. She has NO interest in detail. She's a conceptual girl. But her lack of interest in formal learning at home (if a teacher asked her to do it, a completely different matter) has always left me wondering if she's as gifted as her test results say. Then I think about her in the context of ND kids and think, yes, yes she is. But her lack of skill at basic stuff lead others to think she's not as bright as she is and so every now and again I get frustrated - completely because of my own worries - and try and force something. And then I realise I am being ridiculous - fortunately usually pretty quickly!

I can't tell you how glad I am to hear others have similar issues - I do love this forum

I read this as saying that this individual's behavior didn't live up to the high standards of professionalism that one has come to expect by this very excellent profession.
((shrugs))
Grinity

In the begining, DS15 was desperate to learn anything and everything.
Then the school years did a good job of convincing him that school wasn't the place for learning, so he didn't want to learn there, but still would go on 'kicks' of wanting to learn on his own or during certain weekend programs.

Lately he understands the whole 'give and take' thing with school and is willing to perform at school, and I think he's finding that he is finding interesting learning there (of course this is a boarding school 10 hours from home)

Not sure if he fits neatly into either group, but very grateful that he's 'bribable' and willing to put effort in at school.

((Hugs)) eema - hope your kids find something that turns on the 'love to learn' switch.

Love and More Love,
Grinity

Personally, I believe they are all born with a desire to learn. IT is part of being human. It can however be destroyed.

There are kids who love to learn but who want don't like to be taught. And kids who love to be taught when they ask for it but don't want to be plugged into a very standardized curriculum that may not move at the right pace. For many kids it really does take time and space to develop the urge to work at anything - if there are electronics ready to step in that can discourage that development.

This is my daughter. While I say she is un-hothouse-able - it's certainly not that she has no interest in learning, she just isn't interested in being taught in a structured way. At least by me or DH. She likes to learn in a random, hands on way - to have her questions answered and her interests facilitated. She tends to learn and expand her ideas, and to problem solve, through fantasy. Flash cards are hard to fit in to a many months long dramatic saga about being a courtier in the 16th century (we tend to live much of our lives as characters from dd's books...sigh)

Card and dice games were extremely popular among 16th century courtiers. There might yet be hope for "hothousing"! Blackjack built more fluency with addition facts for my son than anything else we tried.

http://www.greydragon.org/library/15th-16thcardgames.html

Giftodd
this is us too - although not usually people - we have been bugs, animals, characters, robots, you name it, it just has to come in groups of 3! He uses the information gleaned from his books to feed these imaginative adventures. Its fun, although sometimes strange when he addreses us by one of the names in public!!

DeHe

And this is why I love this forum! How can we explain our kids to others who don't get it? Yes, she is smart... scary smart. And, no, you probably don't see it because she can't be bothered to show you, or she doesn't care about the subject you're discussing, or there is an ant crawling across the floor that could be a great start for the ant colony she always talks about and never makes. You guys help to keep me sane!

Yes, yes, yes!

And thanks for the Black Jack idea, aculady. Great idea.