Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Second grade skip - tell me positive stories!

This was one of the factors that made our decision(s) to skip all the tougher. It is difficult to respond to friends and family when they ask about this because, of course, we don't want her out of the house two years sooner, or for that matter, ever. But it comes back to making the best decision for our DD15 and her situation, even if it robs us of more in-house time with our DD.

However, looking at the long game, it may pay off down the road. As DD has told us when rejecting gap year or foreign exchange options - she does not want to give back any of the skipped years. She is instead looking at them as a way to get through medical school and still be in her twenties when she starts a family. So - maybe we're trading two years of her adolescence for two extra years of grandparenting. And with compound interest... that's like 8 years, right?

Best of luck,
--S.F.

1. Entering college one, two, four, or eight years early does not have to mean leaving home earlier. Many families live within commuting distance of a decent regional 4-year (we were blessed to live within range, and were able to commute throughout undergrad; some of us were of an age that commuting during graduate school also was preferred). Many others can access reasonable online college coursework. (If attending an elite institution has particular value for an individual, there's always graduate/professional school or postdoc/residency.)
2. Particularly for females (but for males, also), buying years with grade skips can make the difference between being a young, active parent, and being an older, less agile, parent, or even being a parent at all. Especially since this population is disproportionately more likely to engage in significant further education beyond a bachelor's degree. Even without post-grad education, one can have the option of becoming more established in a career before beginning child-rearing, and still be relatively young, which can make a difference in terms of work-life balance.

* But I still maintain that a decision now one way or the other is not nearly as limiting to future options as it may feel in the moment. Do what you think is best for your child as s/he is, at this moment in time, and don't be afraid to change if it doesn't work out. It's not a failure, nor are they likely to be seriously injured by a short period of poor fit.

"Each day has enough trouble of its own."

While I yet to speak to principle directly (somehow we only going back and forth with voicemail), I am trying to talk myself into it. I left a message asking what he based his decision on and if they already had similar experience with other kids. Also, what will be our back up plan of this skip doesn't work. Not sure what else to ask, to be honest.

Your experiences really helping me to look from all sides. Special thank you to SFrog - somehow you give me so much positiveness through your posts!

My concerns are not yet going as far as college to be honest. Also, our kiddo has her eyes already set on a great college 20 minutes from our house. If she ends up going to "far, far away" college we will make arrangements for her not to live on campus until she is 18. Also, with dating - we are pretty laid back parents but there is a rule of no "one-on-one" dating until she is 16. To be honest, I grew up in a country where 16 is actually not a "child" and your parents will usually let you go on your own at that age. I graduated and started college at 16 which is not that unusual in our country. I am still nervous but I think I am narrowing down my concerns.