We have been so busy lately! It's so much good stuff, but it also has us mostly around people who are not part of the sphere that we have been comfortably incubated in for a bit. We've enjoyed the company of some incredible people and doing some really fun activities. However, I was reminded just how differently we see the world now than we did just a few months ago. People who are not experiencing this firsthand have a hard time understanding it, even when they want to. Maybe it's insecurity, but I experience people seeing me as a pushy mom pretty regularly . . . whenever we're not surrounded by families with highly gifted people, that is. . .
One of my greatest fears and aversion as we began this journey was that my daughter would feel pushed to grow up too quickly. Closely associated with that was that she would feel that it was incumbant upon her to overachieve in every area. This is an unrealistic goal for anyone, and for a perfectionist, it's downright painful! As I have watched her and worked with her, I've learned that she needs more reign and less bit. When she finished a grade level in a matter of weeks, I forced myself to celebrate with her. Inside, and after bedtime, I was scared to death, and I cried as I realized just how different her life will be than I expected/hoped or than the "average" experience. Sure, there are wonderful things to this, but I still grieve the loss of the dreams and hopes I had.
Next school year, she will likely finsih three grade levels. Taken out of context and at face value, this sounds ridiculous. Last year, I would have interpreted this to be the statement of a pushy mother. The truth is that I would love it if she were satisfied and thriving with one grade level each year. Another truth is that she has not been. She is happier when she is allowed to gallop through the material, so I'm preparing to allow her some galloping room next school year. I'm planning three grade levels worth of curriculum for homeschooling. If we finish only one, I will not be disappointed. I'll be thrilled that I have the upcoming work already planned, in fact. If she finishes three grade levels worth of work by January, I will quit curriuculum again until the next school year, most likely . . . and there will be more crying . . . and probably swearing, on my part.
The beginning of last year, we struggled to find a routine and system that worked for both of us. It took 2 moths to finish the grade level we had pulled her out of in December . . . and I had started from the beginning of the grade level. Apparently, we learned to work well together, because she finished the next grade level in 5 weeks. It was a rare day when she spent more than an hour and a half on school work during an entire day. This was something we did only three or four days per week. I was hardly running her hard. However, she finished the work in less time than I spent preparing it . . . only now can I think about that without crying, and merely sigh.
Around other children, my daughter runs around screaming and can seem almost like a toddler. At a recent science class, she was acting more like a fifth grader . . . I find it hard to believe that many balance this range of behavioral ages. We also deal with teenager attitudes on a regular basis. None of those behavioral patterns match the stereotypical behavior for her age.
It's a part of her that I think it wonderful. She thoroughly enjoys herself and embraces her childlike desires. She also thinks deeply and intently, which enables her to view things in a very advanced creative way. Sometimes, her insights astound me; her perspective is beautiful. In our approach to her education, it would be easy to believe that we are not allowing her to be a kid. However, she is embracing what she desire, rather than what we do - bugs, for instance. I won't get into that, beyond the fact that someone recently predicted that she will be an entimologist, which means I should learn to spell it. It is too late at night for me to bother with spelling at the moment, however.
We are learning to embrace the differences in her and also cater to them, as much as possible. For instance, her grandparents are now forbidden to send bugs home, in a jar or otherwise. However, we recently procured a hamster cage and will be letting her get and care for a hamster. More animals are not on the parents' wish list in this house, but M is obsessed with them. We will own a hamster. She decided to get rid of virtually all of her toys. This was scary and is still wierd, in my opinion. However, she doesn't play with them, and would rather sell them in a garage sale and have the money for her fish tank and other fun projects, like a hamster. We will allow her to sell or give away most or all of her toys. Maybe she's better at living the simple life than we are. . . .
I wish you all simple pleasures. Today, some of mine were time with incredible and hard-working women who I thoroughly appreciate. Some others were finding clothes in our garage sale preparations for both my daughter and myself. We are looking forward to the learning experienc of a garage sale, which is also something that our daughter requested. I'm looking forward to it, even though I have been working very hard. She has done well, also. Good night.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
varying degrees of giftedness
Doesn't everyone have varying degrees of giftedness? I think so. If you are referring to adults, few would disagree with you. Why do we expect children to be so different?
I realize that initially, children's jobs are eating, sleeping, and growing. A little later, you add things like learning to communicate and move. A little while after that, learning colors, letters, etc. However, why on earth wouldn't children immediately have different levels of affinity for different things? Isn't that part of what makes us unique and interesting?
I know several girls who were reading at an extremely advanced level before school started, to the extent that they were singled out for reading classes right at the beginning of school. In the cases I have in mind, all successfully remained in mainstreamed schools and ended up in mainstream classes at their "appropriate age level" in a local district that is fabulous with giftedness - the one our daughter attended, in fact. The girls I'm thinking of are both taller than me, and one is an adult.
Our daughter did not read early. Many have told me that their children aren't gifted because they aren't ahead in reading or math. I disagree with the logic. I also believe that generalizing like that can be damaging, and I speak from experience. I grew up the daughter of a (retired) teacher, and had to face another (scary) mother's disbelief that my mother didn't teach me to read before school started. I was shocked, confused and hurt. I wondered if I should know how to read. I wondered if I was behind or dumb. I wondered if I should be angry with my mother - she had been a teacher, after all. I must have been about 5 at the time.
I talked to my mother about it. I don't remember that exact conversation as clearly as the other mother's unfortunate approach. However, my mother assured me that she knew I was bright and that I would learn to read when I was interested. I hadn't been interested in reading, yet, and she was sure I would pick it up in plenty of time, in school or before. She was so completely unconcerned about it that I calmed down. She was right. I didn't read early, but I was always in the top reading group in school. I even went on to study foreign literature in depth . . . for fun :)
Our daughter is small and mistaken for a younger girl because of her stature. Lately, when people ask her if she is an age younger than her own, she replies that she is a ___ grader. The first time she did it, I laughed out loud, which confused the poor lady having a garage sale. I confirmed that she was in that grade and we moved on. My husband and I laughed really hard that night after bedtime when I related the story, however. I guess she is over feeling wierd for being ahead in school. I hope these experiences are hurtful to her, and that her new approach is a sign that she is confident in her identity.
I battle self-consciousness as a mother, too. When people hear her talk out and about during the school week, I get a lot of questions about why she isn't in school. When she announces her grade and age, I get a lot of judgement from people - some in facial expression, and others boldly aloud and repetitive, even from strangers. It doesn't make our unusual situation any easier and has (hopefully) taught me to be more sensitive and open-minded about others who have made different decisions than myself. I also hope that my daughter has confidence in my decision-making, as I did in my mother's.
To complicate matters, I work with many educators . . . or used to - I just quit to allow me to relax more and enjoy the experience with my daughter. Many wonderfully caring and well-meaning mothers that I have known through my work have suggested that the school system can find a solution. I disagree in the case of my daughter. Here is where I finally get back to my title.
Currently, the only thing holding back my daughter's voracious scientific appetite is her lack of confidence in (or maybe patience with) math. She is several grades further in science than math. She is almost as advanced in reading as she is in science, but her grammar and hand-writing are at the level of her math. When there is a several grade-range difference in subjects, especially inter-related ones, and you have a complicated lesson plan and educational challenge. For instance, how do you learn about physics and chemistry without math at a similar grade level? How do you write appropriate book reports on advanced literature when you are still mastering grammar and verb conjugation? I believe that the areas where she is most interested are the same areas where she is most motivated/gifted. My approach has been to encourage her (in the most positive way I'm capable) to close the gap between her skill levels wherever it's appropriate.
My daughter is motivated by milestones, which is part of the reason we are keeping track of a grade level. While I don't want her to feel pushed to get further ahead, we are assigning her the grade level of her lowest-achievements. For some, this would be focusing on the negative. For her, this is incentive and goal-setting. Knowing that she can have a new milestone met makes learning less attractive subjects more fun. I'm also being open with her about how those skills can help open opporutnities for her in the subjects she is most interested in, like science. If something seems unnecessary to me, I am not motivated to learn it. If something is useful and relevant, I am interested and motivated. I simply point out the relevence and use of the information she is less interested in. That approach wouldn't work with every kid, but it fits her.
Recently, a woman pressed that she could just skip a grade (hearing what grade she is officially in - the math and grammar grade). This woman is very caring and has genuine concern for me and my family. However, it's not that simple. I wasn't in a situation where I could explain it to her, and am too tired to get into it now. I include this only as a little insight into my world and regular interactions. There's a reason I'm always tired. It's not that people don't care, but the way they try to help isn't always helpful.
People assume that I am against the education system. Honestly, I'm not sure if that is true or not. I always intended to use the public school system for my child(ren), just as I used it. She was at a fabulous school. However, I believe that the government is making it difficult for schools and teachers to individualize learning. Since I believe kids are highly individual, I consider this to be a significant problem in the modern education system. It has changed a lot since I was in school. I still think that the mainstream schools are the right choice for some kids. I don't expect the government to address my every need, including the education my daughter. My biggest challenge right now is overcoming my anger with a system that doesn't address the needs of my child and calls itself "no child left behind." That phrase doesn't match our experience, and we are not alone. I have abundant respect, admiration and gratitude for teachers and school personnel. We have been blessed, surrounded by amazing professionals in the education system throughout our experience. Unfortunately, it still didn't work for us. I thank God so many wonderful people are working hard to keep the education system the best it can be within the regulations they have been given ~ through their occupation within the schools.
I realize that initially, children's jobs are eating, sleeping, and growing. A little later, you add things like learning to communicate and move. A little while after that, learning colors, letters, etc. However, why on earth wouldn't children immediately have different levels of affinity for different things? Isn't that part of what makes us unique and interesting?
I know several girls who were reading at an extremely advanced level before school started, to the extent that they were singled out for reading classes right at the beginning of school. In the cases I have in mind, all successfully remained in mainstreamed schools and ended up in mainstream classes at their "appropriate age level" in a local district that is fabulous with giftedness - the one our daughter attended, in fact. The girls I'm thinking of are both taller than me, and one is an adult.
Our daughter did not read early. Many have told me that their children aren't gifted because they aren't ahead in reading or math. I disagree with the logic. I also believe that generalizing like that can be damaging, and I speak from experience. I grew up the daughter of a (retired) teacher, and had to face another (scary) mother's disbelief that my mother didn't teach me to read before school started. I was shocked, confused and hurt. I wondered if I should know how to read. I wondered if I was behind or dumb. I wondered if I should be angry with my mother - she had been a teacher, after all. I must have been about 5 at the time.
I talked to my mother about it. I don't remember that exact conversation as clearly as the other mother's unfortunate approach. However, my mother assured me that she knew I was bright and that I would learn to read when I was interested. I hadn't been interested in reading, yet, and she was sure I would pick it up in plenty of time, in school or before. She was so completely unconcerned about it that I calmed down. She was right. I didn't read early, but I was always in the top reading group in school. I even went on to study foreign literature in depth . . . for fun :)
Our daughter is small and mistaken for a younger girl because of her stature. Lately, when people ask her if she is an age younger than her own, she replies that she is a ___ grader. The first time she did it, I laughed out loud, which confused the poor lady having a garage sale. I confirmed that she was in that grade and we moved on. My husband and I laughed really hard that night after bedtime when I related the story, however. I guess she is over feeling wierd for being ahead in school. I hope these experiences are hurtful to her, and that her new approach is a sign that she is confident in her identity.
I battle self-consciousness as a mother, too. When people hear her talk out and about during the school week, I get a lot of questions about why she isn't in school. When she announces her grade and age, I get a lot of judgement from people - some in facial expression, and others boldly aloud and repetitive, even from strangers. It doesn't make our unusual situation any easier and has (hopefully) taught me to be more sensitive and open-minded about others who have made different decisions than myself. I also hope that my daughter has confidence in my decision-making, as I did in my mother's.
To complicate matters, I work with many educators . . . or used to - I just quit to allow me to relax more and enjoy the experience with my daughter. Many wonderfully caring and well-meaning mothers that I have known through my work have suggested that the school system can find a solution. I disagree in the case of my daughter. Here is where I finally get back to my title.
Currently, the only thing holding back my daughter's voracious scientific appetite is her lack of confidence in (or maybe patience with) math. She is several grades further in science than math. She is almost as advanced in reading as she is in science, but her grammar and hand-writing are at the level of her math. When there is a several grade-range difference in subjects, especially inter-related ones, and you have a complicated lesson plan and educational challenge. For instance, how do you learn about physics and chemistry without math at a similar grade level? How do you write appropriate book reports on advanced literature when you are still mastering grammar and verb conjugation? I believe that the areas where she is most interested are the same areas where she is most motivated/gifted. My approach has been to encourage her (in the most positive way I'm capable) to close the gap between her skill levels wherever it's appropriate.
My daughter is motivated by milestones, which is part of the reason we are keeping track of a grade level. While I don't want her to feel pushed to get further ahead, we are assigning her the grade level of her lowest-achievements. For some, this would be focusing on the negative. For her, this is incentive and goal-setting. Knowing that she can have a new milestone met makes learning less attractive subjects more fun. I'm also being open with her about how those skills can help open opporutnities for her in the subjects she is most interested in, like science. If something seems unnecessary to me, I am not motivated to learn it. If something is useful and relevant, I am interested and motivated. I simply point out the relevence and use of the information she is less interested in. That approach wouldn't work with every kid, but it fits her.
Recently, a woman pressed that she could just skip a grade (hearing what grade she is officially in - the math and grammar grade). This woman is very caring and has genuine concern for me and my family. However, it's not that simple. I wasn't in a situation where I could explain it to her, and am too tired to get into it now. I include this only as a little insight into my world and regular interactions. There's a reason I'm always tired. It's not that people don't care, but the way they try to help isn't always helpful.
People assume that I am against the education system. Honestly, I'm not sure if that is true or not. I always intended to use the public school system for my child(ren), just as I used it. She was at a fabulous school. However, I believe that the government is making it difficult for schools and teachers to individualize learning. Since I believe kids are highly individual, I consider this to be a significant problem in the modern education system. It has changed a lot since I was in school. I still think that the mainstream schools are the right choice for some kids. I don't expect the government to address my every need, including the education my daughter. My biggest challenge right now is overcoming my anger with a system that doesn't address the needs of my child and calls itself "no child left behind." That phrase doesn't match our experience, and we are not alone. I have abundant respect, admiration and gratitude for teachers and school personnel. We have been blessed, surrounded by amazing professionals in the education system throughout our experience. Unfortunately, it still didn't work for us. I thank God so many wonderful people are working hard to keep the education system the best it can be within the regulations they have been given ~ through their occupation within the schools.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Dumbing Down AKA Fitting In AKA Mirroring
Recently, my daughter and I spent time with dear friends. They are the kind of people we always feel close to, even though we don't see them often enough. The family has two children, one the same age as M, and the other a bit younger. It was fascinating to see them all interact.
Their living arrangements and lifestyle are drastically different than our own ~ basically suburban vs rural. M was loving the whole thing, but had not spent a lot of time around them for the last couple of years, as we had only seen them briefly a couple of times during that period. It was fun and curious to see her acting really young. . . . most of the time :)
As we were learning about some of the aspects of living, M would be very interested, then stare off into space. I think this might have been frustrating or dissapointing to Papa (as they call him). I assured him that she was enjoying it. At night, we would talk in bed before lights out and it was clear she was listening. Talking in her sleep, she said, "it depends upon the altitude and longitude." When asked about it the next morning, she cited something she had read, mixing up the words altitude and latitude, but still something you don't expect coming out of a little girl . . . while she's asleep, especially!
A couple of times, the girl I'm more used to popped out of her mouth. There were surprised, pleased expressions from the adults, but M looked almost like she'd been caught. I have not seen this around too many kids and it made me curious. Was she doing this to enjoy the children and try and fit in?
I like the term mirroring, which is a marketing and sales term. In a sense, you learn about the person you are working with and mirror their approach or beliefs or feelings in a show of understanding and similarity with the person. It is very affective in sales, and I think many of us do this in our relationships, as well. It doesn't seem like a stretch to say we market ourselves to others. You need only think about clothing, hair and makeup to get a start of how we all do this. It's not as self-centered as this sounds, either. The goal is largely to make the other person feel comfortable in the interaction, and finding common ground to talk about. Simply put, it's being friendly.
When we first heard M was gifted, we were told that girls often "dumb down" to fit in. I think the term has very negative connotations, but agree that it happens. In fact, I think there are positive aspects to it. M has as much fun playing with preschoolers as anyone. Clearly, her cognitive abilites surpass preschoolers, but I adore her exuberance as she plays with preschoolers! She flocks to them and they love her. When they talk, it's often as many sound effects as words, and she's certainly not talking about longitute or altitude with them ;)
To prove my point about it being a positive thing, I offer an example of someone who cannot do it at all. Sheldon, from the Big Bang Theory (a TV show). This character is brilliant on at least one level. There are many level where he is not at all intelligent, however. It's part of why he's hysterical and why so many love the show and laugh so hard! A more realistic/everyday illustration might be hobbies. I enjoy needlework and have a group of friends who are interested in doing a lot of crafty things. However, my husband would rather be just about anywhere else when we start doing that. When I want to hang out with him, we get together with people and play fun board games or just hang out and have a meal. It's just that simple. Another example from the opposite end came from a friend who recently told me she was visiting a monastery and started talking about evolution . . . she was very glad they were under vows of silence and that she couldn't read their thoughts when it sunk in!!!
Here's the footnote for me. M needs a place where she can be with kids that do want to talk about latitude and longitude as if it were everyday conversation for everyone, as well as the other places. It's a big part of her, and I have seen the impact of having those kids in our lives - it's amazing and critical to her happiness and development. However, I still plan to enjoy watching her play with preschoolers with young, innocent abandon. I want to make sure she gets enough of both. I have also been putting things in place so that I get enough time with other people who share my passions. Part of being a good mother is setting a good example, so I have started to embrace hobbies that make me smile again. It doesn't have to be about deep or heavy things. Sometimes it's about knitting a scarf :)
Their living arrangements and lifestyle are drastically different than our own ~ basically suburban vs rural. M was loving the whole thing, but had not spent a lot of time around them for the last couple of years, as we had only seen them briefly a couple of times during that period. It was fun and curious to see her acting really young. . . . most of the time :)
As we were learning about some of the aspects of living, M would be very interested, then stare off into space. I think this might have been frustrating or dissapointing to Papa (as they call him). I assured him that she was enjoying it. At night, we would talk in bed before lights out and it was clear she was listening. Talking in her sleep, she said, "it depends upon the altitude and longitude." When asked about it the next morning, she cited something she had read, mixing up the words altitude and latitude, but still something you don't expect coming out of a little girl . . . while she's asleep, especially!
A couple of times, the girl I'm more used to popped out of her mouth. There were surprised, pleased expressions from the adults, but M looked almost like she'd been caught. I have not seen this around too many kids and it made me curious. Was she doing this to enjoy the children and try and fit in?
I like the term mirroring, which is a marketing and sales term. In a sense, you learn about the person you are working with and mirror their approach or beliefs or feelings in a show of understanding and similarity with the person. It is very affective in sales, and I think many of us do this in our relationships, as well. It doesn't seem like a stretch to say we market ourselves to others. You need only think about clothing, hair and makeup to get a start of how we all do this. It's not as self-centered as this sounds, either. The goal is largely to make the other person feel comfortable in the interaction, and finding common ground to talk about. Simply put, it's being friendly.
When we first heard M was gifted, we were told that girls often "dumb down" to fit in. I think the term has very negative connotations, but agree that it happens. In fact, I think there are positive aspects to it. M has as much fun playing with preschoolers as anyone. Clearly, her cognitive abilites surpass preschoolers, but I adore her exuberance as she plays with preschoolers! She flocks to them and they love her. When they talk, it's often as many sound effects as words, and she's certainly not talking about longitute or altitude with them ;)
To prove my point about it being a positive thing, I offer an example of someone who cannot do it at all. Sheldon, from the Big Bang Theory (a TV show). This character is brilliant on at least one level. There are many level where he is not at all intelligent, however. It's part of why he's hysterical and why so many love the show and laugh so hard! A more realistic/everyday illustration might be hobbies. I enjoy needlework and have a group of friends who are interested in doing a lot of crafty things. However, my husband would rather be just about anywhere else when we start doing that. When I want to hang out with him, we get together with people and play fun board games or just hang out and have a meal. It's just that simple. Another example from the opposite end came from a friend who recently told me she was visiting a monastery and started talking about evolution . . . she was very glad they were under vows of silence and that she couldn't read their thoughts when it sunk in!!!
Here's the footnote for me. M needs a place where she can be with kids that do want to talk about latitude and longitude as if it were everyday conversation for everyone, as well as the other places. It's a big part of her, and I have seen the impact of having those kids in our lives - it's amazing and critical to her happiness and development. However, I still plan to enjoy watching her play with preschoolers with young, innocent abandon. I want to make sure she gets enough of both. I have also been putting things in place so that I get enough time with other people who share my passions. Part of being a good mother is setting a good example, so I have started to embrace hobbies that make me smile again. It doesn't have to be about deep or heavy things. Sometimes it's about knitting a scarf :)
Friday, May 4, 2012
Coincidence?
When we met with Dr Ruf, she said her book was almost entitled "A Nation of Geniuses," and I'm thinking it would have been very true.
"In this life, there are very few coincidences" ~ from the 39 Clues Cahills vs Vespers, but I don't remember which one right now. We were told how rare our daughter is in so many ways, and from various angles, but I'm beginning to think she's more common than we thought. She is one-of-a-kind, as all of God's children are, but . . . I was in a conversation at a local swim school recently with two other women. One of them was a highly gifted child not so long ago, and the other one has a highly gifted son. Out of three random people, that doesn't seem like coincidence. We hired a man to help us with a home repair, and got his name from an old friend. As my daughter talked his ear off and asked a bunch of questions, the topic of giftedness came up. He has a son who is twice exceptional, as well (gifted with a learning/behavioral challenge). I had never met any of these people before, but happened upon them . . . outside of the giftedness circles we are starting to find. I simply don't believe it's extremely rare.
Some people have told me that their children were IQ tested as a part of consultation for other things. Most often, it involves behavioral challenges, but not every time. This doesn't convince me. I have met many people who had psychiatrists or even pediatric psychiatrists test their kids falsely low on IQ. The problem is that gifted kids actually think differently in process from other kids, and it can come out in ways that are misundertstood by people who don't specialize in that area. I know of too many cases where kids were later tested with much higher scores when they found a specialist that understood their thought process.
What about people who will never understand multi-variable calculus, in-depth literary analysis, scientific research, or other areas that are considered gifted spheres? I believe many of those people are also highly gifted, even if the label doesn't fit them precisely. I'm recalling a Reba song lyric from "God's Will." "I never got to tell her that the boy showed me the truth. In crayon red on notebook paper, he'd written me and God love you." We can learn so much from all people, if we are only willing to see it.
It saddens me that kids in any sphere, or adults, are misunderstood. I pray they will realize the rich experience of being understood and appreciated. I also want to capture the messages they have to tell me. When people are misunderstood, I fear important things get lost or missed . . .
I don't mean to sound depressed. Part of our prioritizing decisions includes me making homeschooling M my full-time occupation. This Spring has been especially chaotic as I continued my work while homeschooling. If she were going to a school in the Fall, my thought was that I wanted to have my work continue through the other life transitions. Now that we have decided to homeschool longer, I have given notice. While parts of my contemplation make me sad, I am profoundly grateful to have time to contemplate them. I hope to soak up as much of the wonderful time with my daughter as I can, and am grateful that we are in a position to make this change. There are many right answers. This is our right answer for now.
"In this life, there are very few coincidences" ~ from the 39 Clues Cahills vs Vespers, but I don't remember which one right now. We were told how rare our daughter is in so many ways, and from various angles, but I'm beginning to think she's more common than we thought. She is one-of-a-kind, as all of God's children are, but . . . I was in a conversation at a local swim school recently with two other women. One of them was a highly gifted child not so long ago, and the other one has a highly gifted son. Out of three random people, that doesn't seem like coincidence. We hired a man to help us with a home repair, and got his name from an old friend. As my daughter talked his ear off and asked a bunch of questions, the topic of giftedness came up. He has a son who is twice exceptional, as well (gifted with a learning/behavioral challenge). I had never met any of these people before, but happened upon them . . . outside of the giftedness circles we are starting to find. I simply don't believe it's extremely rare.
Some people have told me that their children were IQ tested as a part of consultation for other things. Most often, it involves behavioral challenges, but not every time. This doesn't convince me. I have met many people who had psychiatrists or even pediatric psychiatrists test their kids falsely low on IQ. The problem is that gifted kids actually think differently in process from other kids, and it can come out in ways that are misundertstood by people who don't specialize in that area. I know of too many cases where kids were later tested with much higher scores when they found a specialist that understood their thought process.
What about people who will never understand multi-variable calculus, in-depth literary analysis, scientific research, or other areas that are considered gifted spheres? I believe many of those people are also highly gifted, even if the label doesn't fit them precisely. I'm recalling a Reba song lyric from "God's Will." "I never got to tell her that the boy showed me the truth. In crayon red on notebook paper, he'd written me and God love you." We can learn so much from all people, if we are only willing to see it.
It saddens me that kids in any sphere, or adults, are misunderstood. I pray they will realize the rich experience of being understood and appreciated. I also want to capture the messages they have to tell me. When people are misunderstood, I fear important things get lost or missed . . .
I don't mean to sound depressed. Part of our prioritizing decisions includes me making homeschooling M my full-time occupation. This Spring has been especially chaotic as I continued my work while homeschooling. If she were going to a school in the Fall, my thought was that I wanted to have my work continue through the other life transitions. Now that we have decided to homeschool longer, I have given notice. While parts of my contemplation make me sad, I am profoundly grateful to have time to contemplate them. I hope to soak up as much of the wonderful time with my daughter as I can, and am grateful that we are in a position to make this change. There are many right answers. This is our right answer for now.
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