Member since: July 2008

About me

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I have 5 children and so far 3 has been idenified as gifted. Before finding out from school for my oldest daughter, I knew my kids were very emotional and very sensitive. When we would go out to social events people would notice their anxiety, sensitivity and even sometimes their awkwardness. Some of my children were not very social, why my other children were very social. They also were physically advanced, meaning they learned quickly how to walk, toliet train, ride a bicycle, even observed certain sports moves and imitate them. There was nothing they could not learn. Intellecially though, I was not a big reader to my children, which I now regret. But math was always my favorite subject so my children learned to love math as well. They did always advance in math. Once I knew they were gifted I went to all the district Advanced Learner parent meetings. I read book on how to raise a gifted child and could finally understand why my children were so different. I learned not to live my life in through my child, not to show off my child, and not to say that they are too sensitive. But one also has questions and you know not to speak with nongifted parents who might not understand my childs issues. I remeber when I was in 3rd grade hearing about a gate class and wanting to be a part of it because they has art, music and math, (all the subjects I loved) never got into it. I was never tested. Now as an adult when I got a letter from my daughter that she was gate identified and scored 99 percentile. I told the teacher is was 99, not knowing what that meant. I honestly thought she has gotten an A on her test. I now realize what that meant. And boy was I wrong. In contrary to what other parents say that their kids excelled in learing, my kids only excelled in math and art, but were struggling in english and comprehension, to the point of being recommended to be withheld a year. I of course pushed for my childrens school to get resourced to help. Reading "Raising Gifted Kids" by Barbara Klein, and other great books I learned to be my childs advocate and not their agent.