Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Pointless Anecdote (Sort of Funny)

AM: Pentaphobia was one of DS's favorite scenes to reenact for a while, too.

I went through a period of worrying whether Charlie Brown is age appropriate for him (he went through a Calvin and Hobbes phase at age 5 that was murderous - we finally had to hide the books!), but then I realized that, if we read the books together, there is much rich material for chatting and thoughtful interaction.

At this time, DS is channeling Sally very usefully to help him cope with his entering first grade anxiety.

By the way, Val, I am Ian ('fitzi'). Your story is a classic.

Calvin may be the ltimate GT child. He seems to be 5 years old going on 12.

I took a personality test 15 years ago and landed in the same group as Calvin. I was exceptionally pleased with that result.

As for the developmental thing, I am in my 40s going on 12.

Val!

Yeah, I've always had a weakness for ol' Cal.

During his Calvin and Hobbes phase, DS took to writing notes to me and DW saying "Dear (Mom/Dad): I hate you, drop dead!" Of course this is verbatim from a valentine that Calvin gives Susie, and we took it in the same spirit. Needless to say, however, we tend to select these notes out of the portfolio we present during school interviews.

Unfortunately, this mode of self expression was not well-received by his age-level playmates, and so, ultimately, we were compelled to keep these books away from him.

Your son is so funny! I would be charmed to receive such a note. I love Calvin and Hobbes and forgot about them. I'll have to dig them out for DS4. I think there's a part when he learns there's not santy claus, i'll have to hide that one for awhile. DS4 is in that in between not quite sure phase with magic stuff. My mom was playing a game with him where they built castles with moon sand, and she was hiding some small trinket in it without DS seeing. I think he truly believed the moon sand was magic! Even though they were his own toys, he would say, "look! now i have another one of these!"

Your son is hilarious. I love his replies. May be next time I have a problem with my children, I should contact your son

DS has been leaving us notes since he was 4. His first was "I have gone out make hot chocolate if I am scared I will call you" A classic was "Dear Mom: I love you. When will you make more cookies?" "Dear Dad, I hate you, drop dead." is taped up to the wall next to my bed. Now if he could just grasp a wee bit of linear thinking, we would be doing well.

The psychiatrist thing is turning out to be a useful role-playing/communication device, actually. I tell the psychiatrist I can't figure out what my son would like to do, for example, and he comes up with a couple of good ideas.

So, is that reverse psychiatry you're doing there?

Had to search for this thread after being gone for a week. Fitzi - those notes are hilarious! Keepers for sure.

I have to report that I did find the calvin and hobbes books and read a bit to DS4 last week. This morning, he gets up and says, "where's that calvin and hobbes book? I need to look for some ideas for mischief." (And for the first time ever, I spotted him reading a book by himself - so i'm still weighing the positives and negatives with this one!) And last week at the grocery store, he quoted Calvin while he was sitting in the cart: "Mom, go really fast and then let go!" I can only hope that someday we'll get a note like yours.

That's great!!!