That fall, when Grace started the gifted school-within-a-school program, was not spent focusing or doing what she was supposed to. Her teacher was emailing, albeit carefully, letting me know that she was hoping Grace could focus a bit and give her best effort. These emails made my husband and I smile. She was getting in trouble because she had found her … [Read more...] about Community. Life or Death? It Was for Us.
parenting
Finding Community in the Land of ‘All Children are Gifted’
At that point, I went full swing into forming clubs to try to attract kids with similar interests. We had a Japanese Language and Culture club; we had a Programming for Kids club. Even though our homeschooling community proclaimed that all of our children were gifted, somehow it was the brainy/thinky kids who found our clubs and became our tightest social group. When I … [Read more...] about Finding Community in the Land of ‘All Children are Gifted’
Finding Your Community: Essential Support for Parents of Gifted Children
Once I eventually found other parents who truly understood the challenges of gifted parenting, I could finally relax. I no longer felt compelled to downplay, minimize, or “undo” my sons’ experiences. I stopped worrying about whether my motivations, concerns, or joys would be misperceived, and could engage in a supportive, meaningful dialogue about strategies and … [Read more...] about Finding Your Community: Essential Support for Parents of Gifted Children
Resolution Reframe
It was during the eight weeks of the SENG Parent group that I began to reflect on my experiences as a gifted child. I realized that I had let my gifted identity go underground, as many gifted girls do. This really gave me the tools to help my daughters think and talk about their giftedness. My New Year’s resolution is the same this year as it has been for much of my … [Read more...] about Resolution Reframe
On Raising Gifted Black Girls
The student body was one-third African American and Caribbean, one-third Hispanic, and one-third Caucasian. The school also touted a full-time gifted program and a bilingual program in Spanish and English. The odd thing was the African American and Caribbean students were all in the “traditional” academic program, while the Caucasian children were in the gifted program. The … [Read more...] about On Raising Gifted Black Girls
Turning My Face to the Light
From the outside, I was committed to helping him grow his academic success and resiliency, one spelling test at a time. On the inside, my stomach was in knots, and the friction of my inner wisdom was screaming at me, "THIS IS WRONG!" I woke up today feeling hopeful and confident. Yesterday was full of negative thought patterns and downward spirals. Yesterday was not a day … [Read more...] about Turning My Face to the Light