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

...your DD5.5 decides to read George's Secret Key to the Universe by Lucy and Steven Hawking (love the book recommendation thread) for her Kindergarten reading homework...and you had really no idea she was reading on that level with comprehension. Oy

Loving these recent stories!

My son (just turned 5) is only MG, if that, but I love these stories and I'm going to join in...
When DS asks out of nowhere: "Mummy. If I was standing on an exoplanet, could I see our sun twinkling like the stars we see at night?"

When DS comes across some Roman numerals in a book he's reading in the car and asks about them. I give one brief, distracted, description and he is instantly able to work the rest of them out without skipping a beat.

After explaining synonyms, DS comes up with many on his own, then asks "What about numbers? Is there a word like "synonym" for sums? Is 6+1 a synonym of 3+4?".

...when your seven-year-old little geography nut (he comes by it honestly) corrects you on place names in Greenland.
He was musing on which places in Greenland might have airports - "apart from Nuuk, of course, and Julianehaab maybe". I thought that Qaqortoq might have one - "but Mama, thats just the other name for Julianehaab!" Duh. How could I forget!

Napanagka, whatever makes you think your kid can be "only MG, if that..."?

My DS9 was playing with a soccer ball in our garden. Then, suddenly, he stoptted and asked me if a LASER can break an atom ....

He asked me while I was driving if a car can stop intentaneously. I started answering him with the concept of mass and kinetic energy. Then I told him that to stop a car you need to convert this energy to another kind of energy. I asked him if he has an idea on what kind of energy and how is the conversion done. He answered me : in heat by friction (not saying breaking)... Well may be, it is normal, I have no idea if other kids of his age would have answered the same way.

Tigerle, he's been tested. FSIQ 128, VIQ 131 on SBV, subtest scores ranging from 50th percentile to 99.9th percentile. So he's "low" compared to most here

I have one more, obviously his idea is incorrect, but shows an interesting thought process.

When your DS5.1, obviously pondering water being composed of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, and, knowing that these usually exist as gas, suddenly comes out with the idea that rain clouds may be the visual signs of a chemical reaction between the two gases in the atmosphere, forming water which then falls to earth.

On the other hand, when he decides Santa's reindeer are "fictional", because obviously reindeer can't fly... But Santa is DEFINITELY solid fact.

When your DD9 gets her first non-A grade in 5 weeks of school, and declares that she's stupid.

Your DS2.10 wants your attention when you're calling your spouse at work on your mobile phone. When you tell him to wait a moment, he picks up the house phone, dials your cell phone, then says (through the phone, when your mobile picks up the incoming call), "Can I have your full attention now?"

The call with DH was only 2 minutes, max, prior to DS needing to launch his intervention.

... when your teen admits that asthma exacerbation and airway remodeling is not a reasonable cost for keeping a beloved pet. Also, when that teen tearfully but pragmatically agrees to find the pet in question a new home. This week.

(Yes, sad days at our house.)

She's agreed to this in part because having to keep the cat isolated is breaking the cat's heart, too. She knows this is hard for her-- but far worse for the cat, who doesn't understand why it is happening.


I really love her rationality, but at times it is pretty hard to remind myself that she's a teenaged girl.