Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy parenting an outlier - moment of panic

I meant to say something about the Lego Robotics group. The first time my DS tried a Lego Robotics camp at 11, it didn't click for him. He was on the older end of the group who attended and even though the material was really appropriate for him and I thought he would love it. It was a new program in my area and they were having a hard time attracting preteens. It's been a few years and now my DS has joined the H.S. Lego Robotics team. Not sure how he is doing with it but he seems to enjoy it.

We also tried a university based gifted camp one summer where my son took a Physics and Chemistry class. He really enjoyed it and although the students did get to take class in an actual LAB, they weren't really allowed to do much because of legal reasons.

My DH is also one of those who can master seemingly any topic in no time. It makes for his relationship with my DS15 a bit rough because he expects him to be like that as well and this strains their relationship.

Also for those looking to move beyond snap circuits. DS and Grandpa are working through spark fun inventors kit. It's not totally maker type stuff, a little more structure I think. DS 8 loves it because it's "real" electronics. Snap circuits is apparently now too jr for him the catch with it, is that it is real and so can be frustrating if you miss a pin or something. So an awesome lesson in persistence and checking your work, like finding the errors in coding. Unfortunately, sometimes this means DS wanders away while Grandpa searches for the error!!

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Some suggestions that help for a STEM kid are: a Lego Mindstorm set with some pointers on how to program it, assembling a quadcopter (with adult help), a telescope and a microscope.

Agree with what HowlerKarma has been saying. Take a DEEP breath and tell yourself it's one day at a time. I wouldn't try to look to far ahead, imo. FYI - my grandfather and uncle and one male cousin (all on my mother's side) were the science/math/engineering type. I am not and neither is my dh.

I've got a 2e/pg ds8 who's doing some MOOC-like courses online for free. We used a college pre-algebra and algebra book I picked up for free in the fall. I try to find things for free or less than $10 that ds will like or what sticks. There's a lot of courses online for free which may or may not work. It's somewhat trial and error.

Some kids like AoPS, Khan, Thinkwell, etc. Others do not.

We met a math professor at the local state college in the fall when ds was rapidly accelerating through algebra and I went into panic. Remember, I'm not a mathy. She let us borrow some books but said that it was quite likely ds would be bored in the classes there or frustrated by the pace and type of students there. Oy. Yet I understood what she was saying and appreciated it and her honesty.

So ds is doing online stuff at the moment, but yes (gasp) might be sitting in a physical college class soon. I try not to think of that one too much.