Hi All,
I hope you are enjoying reading this blog so far. Today I wanted to talk about gifted kids and their friends. Do you ever wonder if our kids connect well with everyone? I personally think they do connect but they hold back a lot. They cannot have certain conversations with their peers. They need to find their niche of friends who they can relate to. In order to do that it is very important to enroll them in some gifted program. My son is a part of Institute of Profoundly Gifted Kids. There they meet other individuals who share similar interests. My kid has a better understanding of other kids that may behave and think like him. Since this school is in Nevada it offers off site learning. It's a great institute and I highly recommend to apply. Criteria is difficult but that also means if your child does get in he/she will meet other kids that have also passed this high criteria to get it. Again I am not saying that the kid should only go to a gifted program but yes he should get supplemented by some means to fulfill his learning desires.
This is another reason I wish parents with gifted kids would put their kids in non gifted schools. So these kids would find their niche of friends everywhere. Now that my kid is in 5th grade I can see that he sometimes comes home and says mom I enjoy most of my friends in school but sometimes they have immature conversations. And yes, this is mainly for the boys, he says the girls are very mature. (I have noticed my kid plays with more girls than boys in school) I think he has better conversations with them. With the boys mainly he plays sports. He is extremely picky about the boys he talks to. I am still trying to figure that out. But have stop beating myself about it now. As long as he is happy I am happy. And he has so many friends who are boys outside school so it does not bug me anymore.
It's great he is a part of a regular school it brings out the humor in him. And he has learnt to take things lightly. But if there were a few kids like him it would make it so much more fun for him. Example he really wants to participate in National Geography Bee but there is not enough interest in the kids so school cannot really do anything. But I know so many kids who are a part of Gifted Kids Institute are highly interested in Geography. Now if some of these kids went to regular schools they could spark up such high interest in to other fields of interest too.
I have also noticed my kid can hold up adult conversations about the stock market, politics, corporations, green energy to name a few. Don't be shocked if your little gal/boy can do that? They are not trying to show off, it's just that they know this stuff and want to share with other's. And most of the time their age kids will not be interested in this so they feel the urge to talk about this to adults. Also encourage them to talk about this. Pick up a conversation about wars, politics, anything. You may think it might be inappropriate but you will be surprised how much your kid already knows and he/she might teach you a few facts. It's again about finding their niche of people they can talk to about all this.
Also remember lots of people won't understand why your kid knows all this or talks like this but once you meet other kids like your kid you won't feel alone. You will know there is a huge support system out there for gifted parents. And they all share the similar concerns. And I promise some smart ass once in a while will say something wrong for your kid. Remember they are just plain ass jealous. Yes sorry to say but if they can't appreciate a kid's talent they should not be your friend. You have to create a thick skin for yourself. Because people don't necessarily like to appreciate other's. We see that with adults too. Some people have a hard time giving compliments.
Finding kids with similar interest is important. They will enjoy all their friends. Kids are smart they will know what game to play with which friend and what conversations to have with which friend. But you will see that switch turn off and on. The minute they will know "hey this kid talks and thinks like me" their conversations will change completely. One minute they could be blowing bubbles to the next minute they have engaged themselves talking about communism, or green technology. You will be amazed!!!
Author: KG
Friday, September 13, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Siblings and Giftedness. Part II
Hello All,
I have to say once the school is sorted out and your kid is happy you feel like you have overcome a major milestone. But for most gifted parents sometimes we worry about the other kids in the house. In my case they are 4 years apart and so different. I feel like I am parenting all over again. My daughter who is 5 is completely opposite my son. Sometimes I feel did I give birth to both of them. I have not had her tested but plan to do that soon. I don't want her to ever question me how come I was not tested. Always the challenge of bringing up 2 kids when one is profoundly gifted. Fill your kids lives with praises. I make sure my entire focus is not on my son I give enough time to my daughter too. She is eager to learn and loves going to school. In just 3 weeks of Kindergarten she has learnt to read, write and recite poems. Her learning style is very different from my son. So as a parent of a gifted kid don't ever look for similar signs. And please please don't beat yourself up trying to figure out why both your kids are so different. Nourish each of them and let them be who they are born to be.
Some of you may ask why get the other sibling tested if you don't see similar signs. Well research says if one child is gifted the other one might be too. Giftedness comes in many ways. Also for your child to never feel that my parent did not get me tested because they just did not even think I was good enough. So regardless of what their test scores are it's best to get them tested. Gifted or not gifted they both will come with a lot of challenges in life. Gifted kids tend to be more sensitive and need a lot of emotional back up and always teach them to create a thick skin they need. They will encounter so many kids who will be jealous of them or be intimidated by them. Never let that come in their way.
Also with siblings I have noticed my little one always saying what about me?? I always always make it a point to praise her when her brother comes and tells me hey mom look I got a 100 or anything else that he is so happy about. I make sure to find a painting, or anything she has created or said that day and praise her. We love our kids dearly and they are both precious to us. My daughter is extremely street smart. I enjoy every moment with her. Thank God both my kids are different it just makes life more interesting and fun. As my son says "Mom as long as we have Anvi in the house we will never be short of entertainment" She makes us laugh so much we don't need anything else.
Author: KG
I have to say once the school is sorted out and your kid is happy you feel like you have overcome a major milestone. But for most gifted parents sometimes we worry about the other kids in the house. In my case they are 4 years apart and so different. I feel like I am parenting all over again. My daughter who is 5 is completely opposite my son. Sometimes I feel did I give birth to both of them. I have not had her tested but plan to do that soon. I don't want her to ever question me how come I was not tested. Always the challenge of bringing up 2 kids when one is profoundly gifted. Fill your kids lives with praises. I make sure my entire focus is not on my son I give enough time to my daughter too. She is eager to learn and loves going to school. In just 3 weeks of Kindergarten she has learnt to read, write and recite poems. Her learning style is very different from my son. So as a parent of a gifted kid don't ever look for similar signs. And please please don't beat yourself up trying to figure out why both your kids are so different. Nourish each of them and let them be who they are born to be.
Some of you may ask why get the other sibling tested if you don't see similar signs. Well research says if one child is gifted the other one might be too. Giftedness comes in many ways. Also for your child to never feel that my parent did not get me tested because they just did not even think I was good enough. So regardless of what their test scores are it's best to get them tested. Gifted or not gifted they both will come with a lot of challenges in life. Gifted kids tend to be more sensitive and need a lot of emotional back up and always teach them to create a thick skin they need. They will encounter so many kids who will be jealous of them or be intimidated by them. Never let that come in their way.
Also with siblings I have noticed my little one always saying what about me?? I always always make it a point to praise her when her brother comes and tells me hey mom look I got a 100 or anything else that he is so happy about. I make sure to find a painting, or anything she has created or said that day and praise her. We love our kids dearly and they are both precious to us. My daughter is extremely street smart. I enjoy every moment with her. Thank God both my kids are different it just makes life more interesting and fun. As my son says "Mom as long as we have Anvi in the house we will never be short of entertainment" She makes us laugh so much we don't need anything else.
Author: KG
You know your child is different but don't know exactly what that means!! Part I
Hello All, I am a mom of a profoundly gifted kid. But what does it all mean? People noticed when he was young and told me "hey your kid is smart" or "Wow How does he know all this?" And every time I heard this I smiled and said I don't know. I was in denial thinking all kids must be like this. They all must learn like him. Then one day in school slam parent teacher conference. The teacher says "What are you doing with this kid" He does not belong here. My world just fell apart. First thoughts are you kidding I am paying so much money for education and you tell me he does not belong here. Hello "Where does he belong?" Thinking in my head this is not good. Teacher says get him tested. First thoughts again what does she mean? I have no clue.
Welcome!! To the first discovery of your kid being gifted. Wow!! Gifted now what is that? First step we had to take as parents is to find a psychiatrist who could test our son's IQ. Whew we got through that and found out he is profoundly gifted, it was overwhelming. I was in a panic now what should I be doing? Which school should I enroll him? Does he need to skip a grade? Plus as a parent I felt I could not talk about this to anyone thinking they will judge me or think I am bragging. It was a battle, and my husband I and I had to have a plan. A lot of time we parents of gifted kids feel overwhelmed. Always have to watch what we say to other's. Always have to teach our kids to make sure they are not hurting any of their friends in anyway. It's a delicate situation that needs to be handled properly.
Anyways, back to what should we do now we have a child who is bored in 2nd grade. Should we have him skip a grade all together, go to a gifted school, home school? All these thoughts run through your mind. I went to almost 10 schools in the span of 2 months. Gifted schools too. But finally found the perfect school to fit our kid's needs. The principal never under estimated him. She gave him a fair chance tested him and 2 days later I got a call from her saying your child can skip 3rd grade. This was fantastic news but now all the worry about emotional factor. Will he fit in??? The biggest worry.
As parents we worry all the time. Are we doing the right thing for our kids. Are they challenged enough? Too many things to worry about. But we were so happy to see our son who was so happy on his first day in his new school. He shined through 4th grade and made wonderful friends. He is now in 5th grade loving school more than ever.
A lot of you may wonder why did we pick a private school as opposed to a public school or a gifted school. Well here are the reasons.
Public School might give you a hard time in accelerating your kid. The key to a good public school is the principal. Is she/he flexible with your needs for your gifted kid.
Private School - Not all will work with you. You have to find a school that has the motto not one learning system works for all. They have to be willing to help you and guide you. The principal needs to be open minded. The school might have a lot of kids but ask them openly how many gifted kids do you have? And how willing are they to work with your kid?
Gifted schools- Me and my husband personally are against gifted schools. We feel it outcast the kid with the rest of the world. In real life the kid will encounter all sorts of kids. Some more intelligent than him and some not. I personally don't think it's fair to the child to surround himself with only gifted kids. How is that healthy? But then again that's just an opinion. It's such a personal choice. Some people swear by the gifted schools and feel the kid won't benefit in any other place.
Schools follow their rules and guidelines. But if you have a principal willing to work with you and your child to bring out the best in the kid, you have a winner school right there. Remember any school will teach your kid math science etc but will every principal also watch out for your kid's emotional needs, acceleration needs or just any concerns you may have as a parent.
Home Schooling - That is a whole different ball game. I personally am not sure how that would benefit a kid emotionally and socially. Yes you can advance him to a higher level of math science or any other subject you chose to, at your kid's pace but is that all it takes to be successful?? Sorry to say but so many successful people did not come with an IQ of 150, 160 etc. They are average people some even drop outs who have made it happen for them. So my personal thoughts God gave your kid this wonderful talent which he/she can utilize anywhere. This talent does not go away. No one can come and snatch his giftedness away. So why home school? Why the urge to separate these kids. I am sure a lot of parents will be against this. Again I am not saying what's wrong or right this is just our opinion based on our experience with our kid. Only you as a parent know what's the best thing to do.
So bottom line do your research before you pick which route you want to take regarding their academics. This will be the most important decision you can make for your child emotionally, academically and for him to learn life lessons.
And I promise for the rest of your life you will tell yourself GOD I hope I made smart choices because your gifted kid does not come with a manual. I think the day you become a parent regardless if your child is gifted or not this will be your concern. And add the giftedness part to it, now you all of a sudden analyze it too much. You have to do what you think is best. Go and tour all the schools, talk to the principal and meet the teachers and then make an opinion of which way you want to go. It's a decision only you and your kid should make. Yes talk to your kid also let him/her be involved. My kid went to so many schools to get tested. But the day he walked into new school we selected, he came out saying I like this school I fit in. They will be happy and that's how it should be. Yes of course they have to be old enough to make this decision.
In a nutshell giftedness does not need to be so confusing or overwhelming. It simply means your kid has a talent in something that is deeper and stronger than other kids. It could be anything from academics, to music, art. . I feel treat them as you would any other child let them experience life and find out who they are themselves. As long as you have challenged them in their area of giftedness, made them emotionally strong, kept them humble things will fall in place. Enjoy this with your kid!! It is truly a blessing. Your kid will surprise you everyday with a little more knowledge that his little brain has.
Author: KG
Welcome!! To the first discovery of your kid being gifted. Wow!! Gifted now what is that? First step we had to take as parents is to find a psychiatrist who could test our son's IQ. Whew we got through that and found out he is profoundly gifted, it was overwhelming. I was in a panic now what should I be doing? Which school should I enroll him? Does he need to skip a grade? Plus as a parent I felt I could not talk about this to anyone thinking they will judge me or think I am bragging. It was a battle, and my husband I and I had to have a plan. A lot of time we parents of gifted kids feel overwhelmed. Always have to watch what we say to other's. Always have to teach our kids to make sure they are not hurting any of their friends in anyway. It's a delicate situation that needs to be handled properly.
Anyways, back to what should we do now we have a child who is bored in 2nd grade. Should we have him skip a grade all together, go to a gifted school, home school? All these thoughts run through your mind. I went to almost 10 schools in the span of 2 months. Gifted schools too. But finally found the perfect school to fit our kid's needs. The principal never under estimated him. She gave him a fair chance tested him and 2 days later I got a call from her saying your child can skip 3rd grade. This was fantastic news but now all the worry about emotional factor. Will he fit in??? The biggest worry.
As parents we worry all the time. Are we doing the right thing for our kids. Are they challenged enough? Too many things to worry about. But we were so happy to see our son who was so happy on his first day in his new school. He shined through 4th grade and made wonderful friends. He is now in 5th grade loving school more than ever.
A lot of you may wonder why did we pick a private school as opposed to a public school or a gifted school. Well here are the reasons.
Public School might give you a hard time in accelerating your kid. The key to a good public school is the principal. Is she/he flexible with your needs for your gifted kid.
Private School - Not all will work with you. You have to find a school that has the motto not one learning system works for all. They have to be willing to help you and guide you. The principal needs to be open minded. The school might have a lot of kids but ask them openly how many gifted kids do you have? And how willing are they to work with your kid?
Gifted schools- Me and my husband personally are against gifted schools. We feel it outcast the kid with the rest of the world. In real life the kid will encounter all sorts of kids. Some more intelligent than him and some not. I personally don't think it's fair to the child to surround himself with only gifted kids. How is that healthy? But then again that's just an opinion. It's such a personal choice. Some people swear by the gifted schools and feel the kid won't benefit in any other place.
Schools follow their rules and guidelines. But if you have a principal willing to work with you and your child to bring out the best in the kid, you have a winner school right there. Remember any school will teach your kid math science etc but will every principal also watch out for your kid's emotional needs, acceleration needs or just any concerns you may have as a parent.
Home Schooling - That is a whole different ball game. I personally am not sure how that would benefit a kid emotionally and socially. Yes you can advance him to a higher level of math science or any other subject you chose to, at your kid's pace but is that all it takes to be successful?? Sorry to say but so many successful people did not come with an IQ of 150, 160 etc. They are average people some even drop outs who have made it happen for them. So my personal thoughts God gave your kid this wonderful talent which he/she can utilize anywhere. This talent does not go away. No one can come and snatch his giftedness away. So why home school? Why the urge to separate these kids. I am sure a lot of parents will be against this. Again I am not saying what's wrong or right this is just our opinion based on our experience with our kid. Only you as a parent know what's the best thing to do.
So bottom line do your research before you pick which route you want to take regarding their academics. This will be the most important decision you can make for your child emotionally, academically and for him to learn life lessons.
And I promise for the rest of your life you will tell yourself GOD I hope I made smart choices because your gifted kid does not come with a manual. I think the day you become a parent regardless if your child is gifted or not this will be your concern. And add the giftedness part to it, now you all of a sudden analyze it too much. You have to do what you think is best. Go and tour all the schools, talk to the principal and meet the teachers and then make an opinion of which way you want to go. It's a decision only you and your kid should make. Yes talk to your kid also let him/her be involved. My kid went to so many schools to get tested. But the day he walked into new school we selected, he came out saying I like this school I fit in. They will be happy and that's how it should be. Yes of course they have to be old enough to make this decision.
In a nutshell giftedness does not need to be so confusing or overwhelming. It simply means your kid has a talent in something that is deeper and stronger than other kids. It could be anything from academics, to music, art. . I feel treat them as you would any other child let them experience life and find out who they are themselves. As long as you have challenged them in their area of giftedness, made them emotionally strong, kept them humble things will fall in place. Enjoy this with your kid!! It is truly a blessing. Your kid will surprise you everyday with a little more knowledge that his little brain has.
Author: KG
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