Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy If I hear this one more time...

And those are perfectly fine forms of exercise, S-T. Don't let this "friend" get you down on that account!

I say, I am letting them be kids. You should try letting them be the kids they *are*.

Some of these comments reminded me of the comedian, Bill Engvall with "Here's your sign." Do the other people think that we are just completely incompetent? ...as if you never thought about the consequences/future at all.

red-shirting kids in kindergarten just sounds absurd to me....are those parents thinking about the future - regarding anything but sports - what if Johnny sucks at sports?

I am with incogneato...but I love the snappy comebacks from Kriston for when you are feeling particularly spiteful.

Along these lines, I had an interesting experience at the EXPLORE test center school, as I waited for MrWiggly to come out. Another mom, whom I had never met as this was in a school district far from our home, started chatting with me. Turns out her 5th grade son was taking the test. She commented that her 3rd grade son was invited but she felt he "was just too young for this kind of stuff." She then asked about my child and looked a little sheepish when I said he was in 3rd grade and excited about taking the test. It got even better (or worse?) when the conversation continued and she asked if my son was 9 yet. I should have just said yes. Her jaw dropped when I said "actually he's still 7. He skipped kindergarten."

For a moment I actually felt guilty that I had brought him to the EXPLORE test at all.......but only for a moment

My DS8 can do work well above his age-grade level. Fine. He also makes farting noises with his armpit and likes licensed character underwear. He loves Garfield comics and soccer. Did I mention paper airplanes and running through the sprinkler when it's hot outside?

My response to that dumb statement is that he is a kid. It's just that he thinks differently than most other kids in some ways (and he always will).

Oh, and as an aside, and as far as I'm concerned, the parents who don't let their kids be kids are the ones who force them into competitive sports before the kids are ready. You can easily spot these people because they're the ones constantly howling "Get to the ball!!!" at their seven-year-olds from the sidelines of the sports field. This may happen with kids and chess tournaments too; I don't know.

Val

My DS just turned 6 also and we are in the same boat.
He skipped kinder so is in 1st but is also doing at least 3rd grade math and phonics reading etc. I dk what to do.
I am worried about the emotional factor skipping. I gotta say my DS is not ahead emotionally. I am leaning towards the gifted 1st in public in Sept 2009. This will be a repeat of 1st though. When they see the work he is doing there is no way they can give him 1st grade work. I am hoping anyway. I will not make him do 1+2 and read cat in the hat.

How about "I love hearing about her academic achievements but right now I'm more concerned about her life skills" This from my dd's teacher because my dd is the absent minded professor as a child. Somehow I'm guessing she will eventually acquire life skills and right now I'm concerned about the school trying to teach her something!!!

OH!!!! I HATE this one! I'm like, hello, I did not push this child, HE did it himself (as far as reading early, wanting to stick his nose in a book all the time, etc).

I also get the "well, if he goes into kindergarten this year, he won't be getting his driver's license when his classmates do".

Um, really... he'll be 16 when he gets his license. Why don't we wait to discuss THAT when he's 16. I'm just trying to do what's best for him at 4.5 (at the time). He's got 11 more years to worry about driving.

I think the best response for this one is to agree.

"Oh, I SO agree about kids needing to be kids! So much of their time is overprogrammed these days. I really think it's important to let them choose what to do with their free time. My DS/DD just chooses to read/do math/conduct science experiments/etc. It's his/her passion. Well, that and bike riding/Barbies/LEGOS/digging in the mud with his fingernails/other "kid" activity."

Hard to think that you're "that mom" if you agree with them!

Oh yeah. Funny, my DS5 plays baseball. It's the one "sporty" thing he does. And he really doesn't do it very well (heck, he's only 5), but he enjoys it. When signing him up this season, I asked the guy at the table if his age group would be split up into two leagues like normal. The guy was like "yeah, but generally the National League is for 6 year olds". I replied, "Good. Because my son belongs on a team with mostly 5 year olds, in the American League". I think I shocked him because most parents apparently try to push their kids up. Personally I'm glad DS5 does something "normally".