Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school Hi! I'm back!!!!

Was wondering where you'd gotten to! What an adventure that sounds like.

Speaking of computer websites, we've just been playing on www.sheppardsoftware.com , the "animal articles and quizzes" selection. Lots of multiple choice quizzes. DS3.5 loves quizzes.

Just so you know you're not alone -- DS is not great with other kids his age currently. Has to be watched with household pets if he's in a wound up mood too (although generally quite gentle). He is very much 3. He gets jealous. He wants other kids toys. He refuses to share, but often shares spontaneously with me and DH. Cries when we leave most places. An angel during our move, polite, helpful, etc, no problem with novelty. Not toilet trained even by stretching the definition, we go forwards and backwards with that -- he asserts (with all seriousness) that he plans to wear diapers until adulthood and just change them himself when they become soiled. Stays up to 11 many nights, and gets up early, only the occasional nap -- he needs a little less sleep than me and DH now.

Starting your own school strikes me as a workable idea. I know someone who did just that. Her older child was not thriving in school and so beginning with just her two kids and I think found one other she started a private school, quite easy in some states. Now has 7 kids enrolled. Individually paced, just a few classes, a lot of field trips, and self-directed time.

Polly

Thanks all for the wonderful ideas. I think what makes approaching groups more daunting for me is the fact that Ansley looks younger than she is....she is very short, still wears 2T pants even though she will be 4 in March. She is inches shorter than other 3 year olds here, so she just looks so out of place.

Alright I am about to make another post in the general section because I have some questions about developmental things that DH and I have been wondering about

I was just going to mention this...

What a dramatic new home you have! How exciting and challenging!

Thanks I think we will jsut keep working with this. After the first of the year she is going to have some more oportunities to be around other kids. Her best friend is gifted (starting to do K things), but no where near the same level which frusterate DD (who is doing 2nd/3rd grade things), but is also good because she is learning to not be so short with others when they don't know something, and the gap is not as large between the 2 of them as it is with other kids her age. They are doing several class together at our PCR (similar to a YMCA) this winter semester, so DD will be able to meet some new friends too. And I am going to this spring try to get her in girl scouts with some older children.

I am having a good day. I had lunch with a great friend (who is DD's best friend's mom) and we were able to have an adult lunch...no kids LOL. She is a middle school teacher and she really gets DD. And is very realistic about what challanges I would face if enrolling her here. She even told me she wouldn't recommend it, as DD would need to be skipped several grades, and advocating for a one year skip is difficult enough at the school. But, she did offer me several resources she has avialiable and access to some achievement testing! So yea! That should help me really get a good grasp on what Ansley needs from me, cause I always feel like I am playing catch up. What ever activity I get for her ends up being to easy, but I am always afraid of getting to hard. So this should really help me. I am lucky to have really found some good advocates and friends thsi quickly here.

That's one of those mental errors we've been talking about lately - turns out that for most folks, the first skip is the hardest. After the first one, then the subject accelerations are easier to get, and then it becomes pretty obvious a second or third would be even better. YMMV, but this is the most common pattern I've seen.
Excellent that you've got a friend, especially one who gets your kid, especially one who has resources! Ask her to borrow some middle school science books for you to look at. You'll be floored, I would bet. When I opened DS's I thought - Oh! This is exactly what I was looking for when he was 6!

Smiles,
Grinity