Being the parent of a gifted child is more of difficult than most people realize. When you have a learning disabled child, you can talk to friends and get support. It's hard to find a sympathetic ear to listen to you talk about how hard it is to keep your child challenged academically. When you are blown away by a new skill the child suddenly mastered, it's easy to come across as bragging and boasting or showing off. However, when a parent asks advice for a child who is struggling in school, everyone has an opinion or suggestion. The parent of a gifted child has a hard time finding others who truly understand their plight. Usually, the only ones who really do understand are other parents of gifted kids.
When we do dare to try to talk to others about our gifted child, we run across common stereotypes and misconceptions. One of the main ones is that "all children are gifted in their own way." I agree that each child is special and has their own unique talents and strengths, however I have trouble believing that a child who teaches herself to read right before she turns 4 and is teaching herself multiplication tables by age 5 is on the same level as the average kindergarten child. We've become a society of not wanting anyone to stand out academically. Sports and the arts are somehow ok, though. It's ok to talk about the great catch your son made on the baseball field, but if I tell you about my 5 yr old wanting to read Jules Verne books, it's showing off or I'm exaggerating her abilities. And then there's the theory that "it all levels out around 3rd grade". Well, maybe in a classroom setting it does. When the child realizes they are different, they tend to try to fit in. With homeschooling, I don't expect that to hold true. I especially find that hard to believe when my almost 5 yr old is doing a 2nd grade workbook I picked up at WalMart last week, and not having very much trouble with it at all. Am I to believe that, after progressing from preschool to 2nd grade level between ages 4 and 5, she's suddenly going to slow down for the next three years and take that long to make it through 3rd grade material? I highly doubt that!
Another misnomer is that it's so 'easy' to homeschool a gifted child. It's anything BUT easy! My daughter flies through just about any school work I give her, then begs for more. She asks questions like "what is color?" and "do colors have opposites?" She wants me to teach her the order of the planets and wants to know how the water she drinks turns to pee. She develops a fascination with the U.S. Presidents and wants to know everything she can about them. She enjoys discussing math. She loves to learn and is always asking 'why' questions. She takes things extremely literally and can be a perfectionist. She sees things in a different perspective than other kids her age - other 4 and 5 year olds. It's not easy parenting or homeschooling a gifted child, it's exhausting at times. And no one understands or feels sympathy for you. If anything, they condemn you or accuse you of putting pressure on the child. There is the constant "what are you going to do when she finishes high school and she's only 11 or 12?" Honestly, I don't know yet. Our local community college offers some early enrollment, so that might be an option. I might just give her college books on subjects that interest her until she's older. A lot will depend on her emotional maturity level at that time. Besides, is it really so terrible that a child start college so young? I don't plan to stop parenting if she does go to college young. If it's a possibility, I'll take the classes right along with her.
Lest you think this is just a proud momma looking for a listening ear for boasting or bragging, that is not my intention. As I said, people don't like to hear how well your kid is doing academically if it's so far beyond 'normal' brightness or good grades. I just need a place for an occasional 'brain dump' when things get a little overwhelming. If you don't want to hear about what my child is doing academically, I am not forcing you to read my posts. This blog is more for my own sanity than anything else, but if it happens to help, encourage, or amuse someone else, that's fine too.
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