Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion You know you're parenting a gifted child when...

I am abundantly aware of what I say nowadays, because it's sure to be replayed in short order!

The nifty part is that he seemed to be genuinely conducting an experiment while playing with his trucks and blocks. It was the scientific method in action and, best of all, intuitively used in solo free play while I was cooking.

When you say you have to have "a talk" with your 9 year old and it has nothing to do with the birds and the bees. (that she somehow figured out herself) It has more to do with chemical reactions and what you should NOT mix together, or leave out open or near flames.

When your 9 year old's Christmas list contains a box of rocks (geodes), a programmable robot, and program to learn French (she's already gone through the Spanish).

When you go to a kids movie and your 2 year old watches the entire thing and comments on the plot throughout, including suggesting at the end ways it could have tied up better to not leave plot gaps. And your 5 and 7 year olds argue the merits of the movie-displayed superpower in scientific and logic terms

(Frozen was the movie)

...when your spouse is calling up to you from downstairs in a slightly muffled voice and your DS2.25 calls back cheekily to him, "All I hear is blah, blah, blah."

...when your 2.25yo child apparently figures out multiplication (or has secretly become proficient at adding quickly in his head). We were talking about different sharks, and I explained that a five gill shark has two sets of gills, one on either side of the shark's head. Without a second's hesitation, DS days, "Yes, for 10 total."

...when your DS picks up pretty young women while sitting in his stroller with, "Hi, my name is X and I'm two and one quarter. Where are you from?" and it works!

...when you go to the bathroom and your child follows you with "Fox in Socks" and proceeds to read the first 3 pages flawlessly, complete with finger under the right words, like "Knox". You didn't realize he was far past decoding words. Silly Mum, of course he kept it secret so he could deliver the news while you're on the can. *Facepalm*

I didn't see this one earlier--pure awesomeness

LOVE the loo thing. Why do they need to show you cool stuff when all you want is a 4.5 minute break on your own?? lol

When in kids sunday school all the kids are asked for their favourite animal and your child is the one that chooses the "Southern African Ground Hornbill, which is highly endangered." Then tacks on, "oh and I also really relate to the red-eyed tree frog for some bizzarre reason"

... when you find yourself PUNISHING your whiny 14yo for outrageously claiming (after ten minutes of effort) that she is "just not good at math" when attempting to rock an A in this class on just 10 minutes a day...

Yeah, princess-- you're right. EVERYONE in the world but you could do this when they were ten. Without even thinking about it. Clearly you got the short end of the stick, since you don't just "know" how to do it already. Besides, you SHOULD be able to facebook IM all day long, try to run yourself down in various domains to make yourself more socially appealing... all while you ace your classes. Sure. [/sarcasm]



So how does one punish avoidant and self-handicapping behavior in a perfectionist, one might ask?

1. take her phone away
2. physical labor-- she's shoveling ice off the sidewalk. Which, in related news, was a lot easier before she broke the handle off the snow-shovel.

Next up, a little number that I like to call "working problems from the class textbook."

Hey-- not my fault that she won't tolerate instruction from me. I know this stuff. {shrug} I also know that it ISN'T the easiest thing in the world to go from sigma to s and keep the variables straight as you make the transition. Practice helps, no matter who you are.

I call this the "too smart to study" phenomenon. SIGH

Heck, I'd settle for the 0.5 part!

Yes, it leads to reckless behaviour, like routinely studying for finals in grad school starting 3 hours (or less) before the exam. Not that I have any first-hand experience with that...

HK, she may not be challenged in undergrad, or even grad school. How is the shooting going? I understand she's a natural, but that's probably the area where she practices the most relative to ability. Maybe work on it from that angle?

Oh, and continue to seethe here. I should give you my mother's coordinates so you two can commiserate. She won't have much advice, though!