Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Freak show on display

Over time, though, the activities of children become more differentiated by IQ. For example, my eldest son has attended contest math programs in the summer and this year is taking Sunday classes at MIT. It becomes more difficult to say what children are up to without providing indirect information about IQ.

Bostonian, if I describe what DD is up to, that's just fine. She does what she does and if some of that is an IQ 'tell' well, I'm the one doing the telling. My point is that group announcement / intro should be more generic and less personal.

I've come to realize that, while the situation initially made me uncomfortable, the conversation really turned quite productive by the end, and I was glad to have had the opportunity. It ended up raising awareness for gifted advocacy outside of those already on board with providing an appropriate education to gifted children.

I think that sometimes we have to put aside our own personal discomfort to engage in situations that can have a greater positive impact.

I have to say it doesn't bother me. Anyone that is being told about my DD doesn't really pay attention or grasp what they're being told anyway.
I'm sure there's always something about everyone that means they're always introduced that way - all the redheaded, or tall, or sporty kids are probably tired of being paraded as such too
I did have someone talking about how bright I was, when really they meant DD so they corrected themselves "not AvoCado - AvoCado's DD". I did have to point out that actually I was very bright too Can't let DD get all the credit

I don't think anyone meant any harm, and not a big deal. As others have mentioned, as kids get older, you can't hide that the kid is bright. My older two play/played sports where teams post their player profiles online, and they hand out brochures at college showcase events - and these profiles and brochures list SAT and ACT scores. When it is on the Internet, you can't hide it. Most folks are a bit surprised at their scores (since they don't go to school with most of these kids), but the reaction is always positive. Also often followed by, "Are you going to apply to ?"

NotSoGifted, it's not that I was trying to hide that my kid is bright. That's pretty much been impossible since he turned 2. I'm used to fielding observational comments about him from other parents.

For me, what took me by surprise was the implied assumptions about my motivation for sending him to this school...almost as if I'd been planning this for him since birth or something. I guess I would have preferred to hear, "I've heard that's a great place for kids of high ability to go because the teachers really understand giftedness; I hope it works out for him." Because that is pretty much how I actually feel.